T-bandh turns violent

The day-long shutdown in Telangana region including the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad on Saturday turned violent in Warangal district with the agitators torching three buses of the State-run the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) and attacked the Congress party office at Bhupalpalli.

The bandh call was given on Friday by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Osmania University students to protest against the terms of reference of the Srikrishna Committee on the issue of carving out Telangana state.

INN reports from Warangal that the Telangana activists burnt three RTC buses at Narsampet in the district and also damaged the window panes of eight other buses. The protestors also ransacked the Congress party office at the coal town of Bhupalpalli in the district. They also tried to set fire to the party office but the police swung into action and took the protestors into custody.

Traffic in various parts of Warangal and other districts in Telangana went haywire with the agitators blocking the flow of vehicles. A report from Medak says that the Telangana activists blocked the Hyderabad-Mumbai National High Way holding up traffic.

In the entire Telangana region and in the State capital of Hyderabad, shops and business establishments were closed while the RTC suspended services in the region. Activists of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) took to the streets at several places staging demonstrations and blocking vehicles.

As a preventive measure, police took into custody several Telangana leaders while forces have been deployed in strength on the Osmania University campus sensing trouble. The campus has been the nerve centre of the agitation for a separate state.

The bandh call is supported by the JAC of all political parties.