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Supporters step up stir; BJP, TRS leaders detained
On the 16th day of the indefinite strike for a separate Telangana State, Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrashekhar Rao created a stir on Wednesday by claiming that the Centre was mulling formation of a new State by merging Telangana and parts of Rayalaseema. But he rejected the idea saying, “We want the same Telangana State back which you had merged with Andhra in 1956”.
Addressing a meeting of Telangana non-teaching employees in Hyderabad, Rao rejected the question of any compromise on Hyderabad as the capital of Telangana saying the people of Telangana would continue their fight till they achieve their goal. He ridiculed the suggestion that the Centre can grant Telangana State immediately if he compromises on Hyderabad. “It is not possible”, he said, adding that even Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi supported the demand that Hyderabad should be the capital of Telangana.
Rao said that the 56-year-old struggle for Telangana was on the right track and that he would not be surprised if a Telangana State became a reality in two months’ time. KCR’s assertion came even as the Telangana Congress leaders including several ministers, MPs and MLAs were meeting the AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad in New Delhi to brief him about the ground situation in the region and the impact of the continuing strike.
Meanwhile, intensifying their agitation, Telangana supporters stopped traffic at several places in Hyderabad and nine other districts, on the ‘Rasta Roko’ call of Telangana Joint Action Committee. Commuters had difficulty as the Telangana agitators formed human chains on the roads.
In Hyderabad, the police arrested TJAC convenor Kodanda Ram, TRS leader T Harish Rao and K Taraka Rama Rao and senior BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya as they sat on the roads at important junctions. Harish Rao led the agitators at the busy crossroads at Hitec City while Taraka Rama Rao was in action at Mettuguda.
Traffic was thrown out of gear in Hyderabad as the agitators blocked the roads at busy Abid Road, Paradise circle, RTC X Roads and other places. Police had a difficult time in arresting and removing the agitators to open the roads. In Nalgonda, Congress leaders, minister for infrastructure K Venkat Reddy, his brother and MP Rajagopal Reddy and another MP Gutta Sukhinder Reddy faced the wrath of the agitating teachers. When the Congress leaders went to express their support to the agitating teachers, they threw slippers at them. It angered the supporters of the Ministers and they attacked the teachers, creating tension. The Minister later announced that, if the Congress central leadership and the Central Government did not announce a solution to the Telangana problem, he would go on a fast unto death after submitting his resignation on October 2.
Protests were also intensified in the State Secretariat after the police arrested the striking drivers who tried to stop the other drivers from working. Later, the leaders of the Employees’ Joint Action Committee met Chief Secretary SV Prasad and demanded the release of the drivers. One of the leaders, Srinivas Goud, alleged that, after failing to end the strike by the employees, the State Government was using the police to crush the Telangana movement.
“The attack on our leader Swamy Goud on Tuesday by the police is an example of this,” he said. The employees JAC on Wednesday knocked on the doors of the State Human Rights Commission seeking action against the police officials responsible for the attack on Goud, who was admitted to a hospital in a state of shock.
Meanwhile, 32 MLAs of the main Opposition Telugu Desam Party have submitted their resignation to the Deputy Speaker of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, protesting the delay in the formation of Telangana State.
The MLAs led by Telangana TDP Forum convenor E Dayakar Rao reached the Deputy Speaker’s office around 5.30 pm and submitted their resignations. Earlier, they discussed their strategy and plan of action at the TDLP office in the Assembly premises.
This is the second time the TDP MLAs from Telangana region have submitted their resignations to the Speaker. Earlier, they had submitted their resignations along with all the 100 MLAs of the region belonging to TRS, Congress, BJP and the CPI. However, the Speaker N Manohar had rejected all the resignations saying they were submitted on emotional grounds.
Addressing a meeting of Telangana non-teaching employees in Hyderabad, Rao rejected the question of any compromise on Hyderabad as the capital of Telangana saying the people of Telangana would continue their fight till they achieve their goal. He ridiculed the suggestion that the Centre can grant Telangana State immediately if he compromises on Hyderabad. “It is not possible”, he said, adding that even Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen president Asaduddin Owaisi supported the demand that Hyderabad should be the capital of Telangana.
Rao said that the 56-year-old struggle for Telangana was on the right track and that he would not be surprised if a Telangana State became a reality in two months’ time. KCR’s assertion came even as the Telangana Congress leaders including several ministers, MPs and MLAs were meeting the AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad in New Delhi to brief him about the ground situation in the region and the impact of the continuing strike.
Meanwhile, intensifying their agitation, Telangana supporters stopped traffic at several places in Hyderabad and nine other districts, on the ‘Rasta Roko’ call of Telangana Joint Action Committee. Commuters had difficulty as the Telangana agitators formed human chains on the roads.
In Hyderabad, the police arrested TJAC convenor Kodanda Ram, TRS leader T Harish Rao and K Taraka Rama Rao and senior BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya as they sat on the roads at important junctions. Harish Rao led the agitators at the busy crossroads at Hitec City while Taraka Rama Rao was in action at Mettuguda.
Traffic was thrown out of gear in Hyderabad as the agitators blocked the roads at busy Abid Road, Paradise circle, RTC X Roads and other places. Police had a difficult time in arresting and removing the agitators to open the roads. In Nalgonda, Congress leaders, minister for infrastructure K Venkat Reddy, his brother and MP Rajagopal Reddy and another MP Gutta Sukhinder Reddy faced the wrath of the agitating teachers. When the Congress leaders went to express their support to the agitating teachers, they threw slippers at them. It angered the supporters of the Ministers and they attacked the teachers, creating tension. The Minister later announced that, if the Congress central leadership and the Central Government did not announce a solution to the Telangana problem, he would go on a fast unto death after submitting his resignation on October 2.
Protests were also intensified in the State Secretariat after the police arrested the striking drivers who tried to stop the other drivers from working. Later, the leaders of the Employees’ Joint Action Committee met Chief Secretary SV Prasad and demanded the release of the drivers. One of the leaders, Srinivas Goud, alleged that, after failing to end the strike by the employees, the State Government was using the police to crush the Telangana movement.
“The attack on our leader Swamy Goud on Tuesday by the police is an example of this,” he said. The employees JAC on Wednesday knocked on the doors of the State Human Rights Commission seeking action against the police officials responsible for the attack on Goud, who was admitted to a hospital in a state of shock.
Meanwhile, 32 MLAs of the main Opposition Telugu Desam Party have submitted their resignation to the Deputy Speaker of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly, protesting the delay in the formation of Telangana State.
The MLAs led by Telangana TDP Forum convenor E Dayakar Rao reached the Deputy Speaker’s office around 5.30 pm and submitted their resignations. Earlier, they discussed their strategy and plan of action at the TDLP office in the Assembly premises.
This is the second time the TDP MLAs from Telangana region have submitted their resignations to the Speaker. Earlier, they had submitted their resignations along with all the 100 MLAs of the region belonging to TRS, Congress, BJP and the CPI. However, the Speaker N Manohar had rejected all the resignations saying they were submitted on emotional grounds.
