IMAGES: Telangana bandh cripples normal life

Normal life was badly affected in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh as the 48-hour bandh called by Telangana Joint Action Committee in support of their demand for early introduction of a bill for formation of a separate state, began on Tuesday.

Schools, colleges, shops and commercial establishments remained closed and public transport buses largely remained off the roads.

Also see: IMAGES: Telangana students' rally turns violent

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Members of the Telangana Students Joint Action Committee clashed with security personnel in Hyderabad for the second consecutive day.

Anti riot police had to use tear gas shells to disperse the protesting students.

People who arrived in Hyderabad from far off places at the Secunderabad railway station, headquarters of South Central Railway, and the Mahatma Gandhi bus station had to face difficulties in reaching their destinations as city buses and auto rickshaws were not available.

The state government employees in Telangana region have already launched a non-cooperation agitation in support of the separate statehood demand.

Police made elaborate security arrangements and imposed traffic restrictions near the state assembly buildings in view of the bandh.

The students had clashed with security personnel in the Osmania University here yesterday as they were prevented from marching ahead to the House for 'laying siege to the assembly' programme.

Also, buses and a local railway station was damaged allegedly by pro-Telangana lawyers and others.

According to reports from Telangana districts like Karimnagar and Medak, normal life was severely affected due to the shutdown. There were no major reports of violence from anywhere in the region in the morning hours.

The bandh supporters held rallies at various places across the region. The shutdown has been called by JAC comprising Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Bharatiya Janata Party and a number of people's organisations.

The Communist Party of India has also extended support to the shutdown.