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Pro-Telangana Warangal blocks Naidu’s way
At least 15 people were injured as the protests, clashes and stone-pelting marred Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu’s visit to Warangal district on Friday. Jangaon area of Warangal district, where Naidu started his visit to the district, looked like a battle field and the roads were strewn with stones and other missiles as hundreds of pro-Telangana protesters came out to stop the massive convoy of the TDP leaders.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti and Telangana Joint Action Committee had given a call to the people of Telangana to block Naidu’s path and prevent his visit in protest against what they called “anti-Telangana stand” of the TDP. A total bandh was observed in Warangal district as part of the anti-Naidu protests. Schools, colleges, shops and other establishments remain closed. Bus service was hit, doctors boycotted their duty and the lawyers put a lock on the district court.
In protest against the attacks on the Telangana supporters during Naidu’s visit on Friday, the Osmania University students Joint Action Committee gave a call for “Education bandh” on Saturday.
Naidu on the other hand defended his “Rythu Poru Bata” programme saying he had come to meet the suffering farmers and give them his support. Naidu, who also undertook a 11-km padyatra from Lakshmakkapalle to Visnur, faced opposition and protests right from Hyderabad where a group of students from Osmania University pelted stones on his convoy at Tarnaka. He also faced similar protests at Bibinagar and Bhongir on way to Warangal. At many places people waved black flags at him.
As the armed police, including the Rapid Action Force personnel were deployed on the entire route, hundreds of TDP workers armed with sticks also accompanied Naidu in a convoy which included more than 500 vehicles. Naidu supporters were seen clashing with TRS workers and other supporters of Telangana at many places.
At Jangaon and nearby places, the pro-Telangana protesters indulged in heavy stone-pelting and the police intervened to disperse them by using batons. Fifteen people, including a mediaperson, were injured in the violence. Protesters also burnt a RTC bus in Warangal and also attacked the residence of TDP leader E Dayakar Rao.
Hundreds of Telangana supporters, mostly college students were on the roads from the morning stopping the vehicles and pelting stones at Naidu’s convoy. A group of TRS workers stopped TDP MLA from Khammam Bhuka Appayya when he and his supporter were on the way to attend Naidu’s meeting at Palakurthy. Three vehicles in convoy were damaged and he was forced to go back.
TRS floor leader E Rajinder alleged that the Naidu supporters were also armed with unlicensed arms. He claimed that the TRS workers even recovered one such gun from them. “The police looked the other way when the TDP workers were using violent means to target the people of Telangana”, he alleged.
He said that Naidu’s visit today was part of the conspiracy of both the Congress and TDP to crush the movement for Telangana state. Local TRS leader and former MLA T Rajaih also alleged that there was a “match fixing” between Naidu and Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy as both of them were against Telangana.
Senior TDP leaders from Warangal K Srihari and E Dayakar Rao formally welcomed Naidu at the district border. Naidu was also accompanied by leaders from Andhra region, including Kodela Siva Prasad, known for their opposition to Telangana State.
Naidu has so far adopted a very ambiguous stand on the issue saying Telangana and Andhra regions were like two eyes for him. Speaking to the media, Naidu complained that he was being stopped though he was only coming to extend his support to the suffering farmers and listen to their grievances.
At least 15 people were injured as the protests, clashes and stone-pelting marred Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu’s visit to Warangal district on Friday. Jangaon area of Warangal district, where Naidu started his visit to the district, looked like a battle field and the roads were strewn with stones and other missiles as hundreds of pro-Telangana protesters came out to stop the massive convoy of the TDP leaders.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti and Telangana Joint Action Committee had given a call to the people of Telangana to block Naidu’s path and prevent his visit in protest against what they called “anti-Telangana stand” of the TDP. A total bandh was observed in Warangal district as part of the anti-Naidu protests. Schools, colleges, shops and other establishments remain closed. Bus service was hit, doctors boycotted their duty and the lawyers put a lock on the district court.
In protest against the attacks on the Telangana supporters during Naidu’s visit on Friday, the Osmania University students Joint Action Committee gave a call for “Education bandh” on Saturday.
Naidu on the other hand defended his “Rythu Poru Bata” programme saying he had come to meet the suffering farmers and give them his support. Naidu, who also undertook a 11-km padyatra from Lakshmakkapalle to Visnur, faced opposition and protests right from Hyderabad where a group of students from Osmania University pelted stones on his convoy at Tarnaka. He also faced similar protests at Bibinagar and Bhongir on way to Warangal. At many places people waved black flags at him.
As the armed police, including the Rapid Action Force personnel were deployed on the entire route, hundreds of TDP workers armed with sticks also accompanied Naidu in a convoy which included more than 500 vehicles. Naidu supporters were seen clashing with TRS workers and other supporters of Telangana at many places.
At Jangaon and nearby places, the pro-Telangana protesters indulged in heavy stone-pelting and the police intervened to disperse them by using batons. Fifteen people, including a mediaperson, were injured in the violence. Protesters also burnt a RTC bus in Warangal and also attacked the residence of TDP leader E Dayakar Rao.
Hundreds of Telangana supporters, mostly college students were on the roads from the morning stopping the vehicles and pelting stones at Naidu’s convoy. A group of TRS workers stopped TDP MLA from Khammam Bhuka Appayya when he and his supporter were on the way to attend Naidu’s meeting at Palakurthy. Three vehicles in convoy were damaged and he was forced to go back.
TRS floor leader E Rajinder alleged that the Naidu supporters were also armed with unlicensed arms. He claimed that the TRS workers even recovered one such gun from them. “The police looked the other way when the TDP workers were using violent means to target the people of Telangana”, he alleged.
He said that Naidu’s visit today was part of the conspiracy of both the Congress and TDP to crush the movement for Telangana state. Local TRS leader and former MLA T Rajaih also alleged that there was a “match fixing” between Naidu and Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy as both of them were against Telangana.
Senior TDP leaders from Warangal K Srihari and E Dayakar Rao formally welcomed Naidu at the district border. Naidu was also accompanied by leaders from Andhra region, including Kodela Siva Prasad, known for their opposition to Telangana State.
Naidu has so far adopted a very ambiguous stand on the issue saying Telangana and Andhra regions were like two eyes for him. Speaking to the media, Naidu complained that he was being stopped though he was only coming to extend his support to the suffering farmers and listen to their grievances.
