Photographs: SnapsIndia Mohammad Siddique in Hyderabad
It was a day of unprecedented violence across Telangana as the supporters of Telangana state went on rampage in Hyderabad and other parts of the region targeting every visible symbol of governance.
As many 329 incidents of protests and violence were reported on the first day of the 48-hour-long bandh called by almost all the political parties in support of a separate Telangana state.
The shutdown in the 10 districts of Telangana was total, but it was marked by violence when state and private buses were burnt and government offices were set on fire by angry protesters who also blocked rail and vehicular traffic.
Resignation spree continues
Eleven Congress MPs from Telangana region submitted their resignation to party President Sonia Gandhi in the wake of government statement, which they feared would delay indefinitely the process forming the new state.
The MPs who met in Andhra Bhavan in Delhi later called on Ahmed Patel, Political Secretary to Congress President. One of the MPs, Madhu Yashki, told media persons after the meeting that Patel assured them that there would be no "deviation" on the December 9 announcement on initiating steps for the creation of Telangana.
Yashki said that Patel acknowledged that there were doubts that have arisen following Wednesday's statement. In the state, over 70 MLAs cutting across party lines, two TDP MPs and a state minister resigned their posts to protest against Wednesday night's announcement by Home Minister P Chidambaram in which he had said that there was need for wide ranging consultations on Telangana.
TDP MLAs face protestors' fury
In Hyderabad, students attacked TDP MLAs Nagam Janardhana Reddy and E Dayakar Rao who went in their cars to express their solidarity with the pro-Telangana students after giving their resignation.
Apart from raining the blows on Janardhan Reddy, the students also let out their fury on the vehicles of the TDP leaders as well as a media organisation. As hundreds of students surrounded the TDP delegation in front of the Arts College building and some of them assaulted Janardhan Reddy, others turned the vehicles upside down, smashed their glass panes and damaged them extensively.
Three vehicles were lying upside down in tatters with glass pieces strewn all around. Some of them students even jumped and danced on them. It was with great difficulty that some other students could free Janardhan Reddy and other TDP leaders from the clutches of the assailants before the police could reach the place and use force to disperse the mob.
'Students were provoked by false propaganda'
While the Joint Action Committee of Osmania University dissociated itself from the incident and blamed the outsiders, police officials said that the video footage was available of the entire episode and they will arrest the culprits.
The incident has evoked strong condemnation from all quarters including the Home Minister Sabita Indra Reddy, TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu, TRS President K Chandrasekhara Rao, BJP President Bandaru Dattatreya and others.
Naidu, who visited the injured leader, demanded that the real culprits should be brought to the book. Senior TDP leader T Devender Goud, who was also part of the delegation that visited Osmania University to express solidarity with agitating students, said that the attack was pre-planned.
"Students were provoked by a false propaganda against the TDP that it was against Telangana state," he said
Warning for parents of students
Inspector General of Police A R Anuradha, briefing the media about the happenings during the day, described the situation as tense and grim and warned the parents of the college students, especially those staying in hostels, to reign them in.
"By looking at them, it is clear that these young students are not understanding the seriousness of the situation. They seem to be taking it as some sorts of sports. Any small thing can give the situation a serious turn," she warned, referring to the involvement of the students in Osmania University in Hyderabad in incidents of violence, stone pelting and attacks on the public and private property.
436 protestors behind bars
A R Anuradha said that 436 people, including students, were arrested on Thursday from all over Telangana in connection with incidents of violence.
The protestors organised Rasta Roko (road blockade) at 88 places and Rail Roko (train blockade) at 11 places. Altogether, the protestors targeted 86 road transport corporation buses and private operators since Wednesday night.
While government offices and public property were attacked, damaged and burnt at 42 places, private property was targeted at 78 places, including Hyderabad.
Shops and offices attacked, stones pelted
Protestors also attacked and damaged shops and business establishments in Habshiguda, Chaitanyapuri and Dilsukhnagar localities in Hyderabad.
Tension prevailed in busy areas like Basheerbagh, where the students pelted stones on police and the police retaliated with baton charge.
Telangana agitators burnt down a Telugu film shooting set at the Anantagiri hills in Ranga Reddy. This was the third such incident in the last three days.
A wall dividing Telangana and Andhra
Even as all bus services were withdrawn by the Road Transport Corporation and Telangana was completely cut off from Andhra and Rayala Seema regions, some agitators went a step farther and constructed a wall on the road between Narkatpally in Nalgonda district of Telangana and Addanki in Andhra region.
When the police tried to demolish the wall, the local people warned them of serious consequences.
'Let there not be any bloodshed in Telangana'
AR Anuradha said that in view of the grim situation additional paramilitary forces were requisitioned from the neighbouring states and the Centre.
Without giving any numbers, she said: "Substantial number of forces have been sent and they will be deployed in Hyderabad and other parts of the state."
Meanwhile, after the first Joint Action Committee meeting, TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao said: "Let there not be any bloodshed in Telangana. I have been pleading for the cause of separate Telangana for the last ten years. It is the demand of entire Telangana. It is justified and legitimate right of Telangana people. Please don't delay the process. Grant statehood to Telangana as announced by Home Minister Chidambaram earlier on December 9."
Common man continues to struggle
He said, "MLAs and MPs and all public representative across the Telangana region are quitting their posts and we are ready for any sacrifice. We have sacrificed our posts. We are not hankering for power. Our only agenda and only slogan is statehood to Telangana and implementation of the promise of a separate Telangana."
On Wednesday night, after protests erupted near Osmania University and in the other different towns of the region, the situation in the Telangana region, Hyderabad and nine other districts was at boiling point.The police had to immediately rush to the area near the Osmania University campus to disperse the mob, as protestors threw stones at RTC and private buses plying near the campus. Students blocked roads and took to streets shouting 'Jai Telangana' slogans.
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