Sporadic violence today marred the first day of a 48-hour bandh, called to press for Telangana statehood, that crippled normal life in Hyderabad and Telangana region.
Sporadic violence today marred the first day of a 48-hour bandh, called to press for Telangana statehood, that crippled normal life in Hyderabad and Telangana region even as Andhra Pradesh government sought to pacify TSR chief K Chandrasekhar Rao by deciding to withdraw cases filed against him in last one week.
The bandh was called by Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) also in support of the fast-unto-death by Rao whose condition was stated to be stable by doctors attending on him in a hospital here.
Pro-Telangana supporters set on fire a hotel, blocked road and rail traffic besides damaging public and government properties including bank ATMs in Hyderabad and Telangana region.
Streets in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad wore a deserted look with business establishments, hotels and petrol pumps remaining closed and buses and private vehicles going off the streets.
Movement of trains was disrupted by TRS activists who squatted on tracks at Uppal, Jammikunta and Ragampuram railway stations in Karimnagar district this morning.
The protesters also removed clips and plates of tracks at different places in Karimnagar district but the police intervened and pulled away the agitators from the tracks. A report from Karimnagar said a bus was set afire while two unidentified persons tried to set afire the car of Ramagundam MLA S Satyanaryana and in Mahabubnagar town, TRS activists allegedly damaged the statue of Telugu Talli (portrayed as symbol of Telugu people).
TRS activists observed a hunger strike in Karimnagar, Jagtial, Dharmapuri towns and damaged the office of INTUC at Godavarikhani town in Karimnagar.
In a bid to mollify the fasting TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao demanding a separate Telangana state, chief minister K Rosiah said the government has decided to withdraw the cases filed against Rao in the last one week.
"We have decided to withdraw the cases filed against him since he was taken into preventive custody on November 29 as a goodwill gesture. We request him to call off his fast and help restore peace in the state", Rosaiah told reporters after an "informal" meeting of the state cabinet.
In an effort to assuage the feeling of government employees from Telangana region, the state government would pass a resolution in the state assembly reaffirming that Hyderabad is not a "free zone" for police recruitment, he said.
The government employees from Telangana and the TRS were agitated over a supreme court judgement that declared Hyderabad as a free zone for police recruitment.
The state government has already filed a review petition in the apex court against the judgement.
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