Telangana paralysed, students clash with cops

As Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh remained shut on the second consecutive day in response to the 48-hour general strike call by the Telangana Joint Action Committee, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti has warned the Congress leaders of the region against any compromise with their central leaders.

Normal life in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana continued to be badly hit as shops, business establishments, schools and colleges remain closed and more than 3,000 buses of the AP Road Transport Corporation were off the road. Thousands of passengers were stuck in different places waiting for the resumption of the services.

The situation has been largely peaceful so far. However tension prevailed in the Osmania University campus of Hyderabad where the students had clashed with the police and paramilitary forces on Tuesday leading to the use of tear gas, sound bombs and rubber bullets injuring two.

Security was tightened in and around the campus as students were planning to take out a procession from the university to the Telangana Martyrs Memorial near the state assembly. Hyderabad Police Commissioner A K Khan said that the procession will not be permitted as Section 144 was in force in the state.

On the political front as the central leaders of the Congress party were trying to prevail upon the members of Parliament and the assembly to withdraw their resignations, Telangana Rashtra Samiti general secretary K Taraka Rama Rao said that any such move will not be acceptable by the people of Telangana.

He asked the Telangana Congress leaders, who were camping in New Delhi to immediately return to Hyderabad as the central leaders of Congress were merely passing the time in the name of discussions.

"Instead of accepting our demand for Telangana state, they are trying to offer financial package and other alternatives, which will never be acceptable," he said.

He said instead of trying to convince Telangana leaders, the central leadership should talk to the leaders of the Andhra and Rayalaseema region to accept the reality and be ready for the bifurcation of the state

Rama Rao said that the Telangana can be achieved only by creating a political crisis and going to the people. "Now even the government employees are planning to go on an indefinite strike," he said.  

Meanwhile, in Hyderabad police arrested Professor Kodanda Ram, the convenor of the Telangana Joint Action Committee when he was on his way to the Osmania University campus in the city.  "Prof Kodanda Ram was arrested as prohibitory orders were in force in the campus," said A K Khan.

In Hyderabad protestors damaged two buses of an engineering college. Police arrested four persons.

As 100 of the 119 legislators of Telangana region have resigned so far, the pro-Telangana protestors were laying a siege to the houses of those representatives who had not resigned so far.

After the 48 hour strike concludes on Wednesday, the students will boycott the schools and colleges on Thursday and take out processions throughout the region. It will be followed by the "rail roko" protest on Friday and Saturday. Kodanda Ram said that the rail communication between the north and the south will be cut off.