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Home  » News » Telangana row: Violence in AP corrodes normalcy

Telangana row: Violence in AP corrodes normalcy

By Mohammed Siddique
January 04, 2010 17:17 IST
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The general strike called against the ongoing Telangana agitation in Andhra and Rayalseema region turned violent at many places on Monday. The bandh called by the all party Joint Action Committee in favour of united Andhra Pradesh hit normal life in all the 13 districts of the two regions.

In Nellore, the protestors attacked the office of the Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited and a chit fund company. They ransacked the office of the chit fund company and damaged furniture. The protestors also targeted a petrol pump in Chittoor town.

Protestors put up blockades on the roads to prevent vehicular movement. They burnt tyres in front of the State Road Transport Corporation's Pundit Nehru bus station in Vijayawada, one of the biggest in the state, to stop the vehicles.

In Visakhapatanam, the protestors forced the closure of district collector's office and other government offices. In Krishna district, the national highway was closed and the famous Hanuman Junction was wearing a deserted look. Two members of the state assembly, Balavardhan Rao and Y Ravi, along with their supporters, played kabaddi on the road.

The leaders of Andhra JAC were arrested in Vijayawada, Tenali, Visakhapatana, Srikakulam and Nellore.

The JAC has also termed Monday as  'Black Day', coinciding with the Central government's talks with the leaders of eight political parties in New Delhi on the issue of Telangana. The JAC has called the people to stop trains and block the roads on Tuesday.

In Telangana region too, protests continued in support of the Telangana state. Some agitators attacked and damaged the warehouse of Pepsi company in Grain Market area of Warangal and destroyed the stocks of soft drinks.

Meanwhile, government employees observed a pen-down strike in the Telangana region, affecting the work in many government offices.

As a counter to the protests called by the Andhra JAC, the Osmania University Joint Action Committee has also given a call for rail roko and rasta roko on Tuesday to put pressure on the Centre for an early decision in favour of Telangana.

In the coal mine town of Godavarikhani in Karimagar district, pro-Telangana protestors disrupted and blocked the shooting of a Telugu film, which has Rana, son of leading producer D Rama Naidu, in the lead rule. The agitators forced the unit to stop the shooting and leave the place.

In Hyderabad, pro-Telangana activists tried to gherao Vijaywada Member of Parliament L Rajagopal at the Hyderabad airport when he was leaving for Delhi. The activists raised 'Jai Telangana' slogan as the security guards surrounded the leader and hurriedly ushered him into the airport building.

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Mohammed Siddique in Hyderabad