Araz News: According to Araz News web site’s Farsi service central government’s pressure on South Azerbaijani activists and local officials escalates even after Ferdowsi’s statue came back upon order of the minister of the interior affairs.

After statue and name of the poet Ferdowsi, who is accepted as father of the Persian nationalism, was removed from a square in Salmas city of South Azerbaijan by municipality, upon decision of the city council, Persian nationalists and authorities in Tehran got angry and while opposition Persian nationalists launched several campaigns, government officials showed immediate nervous reactions.

As the most recent related events, according to the South Azerbaijani sources, Mayor Mr. Rahimi and governor Mr. Masoud Haj Alilou have been summoned to ministry of interior affairs in Tehran to be held accountable.

On the other hand intelligence officials of Salmas city have made telephone calls to 57 Azerbaijani Turk activists threatening them to prevent any reaction against bringing back the statue and name of the Persian nationalist poet Ferdowsi.

Azerbaijani people and activists define the developments as a clear instance of governmental racism and open violation of will and desire of Azerbaijani people and their legal representatives.