Telangana agitation enters third day

Pro-Telangana activists today staged road blockades and took out rallies across the region in Andhra Pradesh as part of their non-cooperation agitation launched to demand tabling of a bill in Parliament for creation of a separate state.
   
The political Joint Action Committee (JAC) also gave a 48-hour bandh call in the region from February 22 demanding introduction of Telangana Bill in the forthcoming budget session of Parliament.
   
"We have decided to observe bandh in Telangana region on February 22 and 23 as part of our demand for formation of Telangana state," JAC Convener C Kodandaram told reporters.
   
The agitation, launched by JAC and other statehood supporters on Thursday, continued for the third day today with government employees in Telangana boycotting their work.
   
Protesters raised slogans in support of statehood for the region and organised road blockades in Hyderabad and Telangana districts. Scores of activists, including Kodandaram, were taken into custody for staging 'rasta roko'
here.
   
Similarly, human chains, road blockades and rallies were organised in Nizambad, Medak, Adilabad, Karimnagar, Khammam, Nalgonda districts and other parts of Telangana. Some activists even had food on road as part of the protest,
reports reaching here said.
   
The demonstrators, including members of TRS, BJP, ABVP and students among others, also protested the suspension of five Telangana MLAs (for their unruly behaviour in the State Assembly yesterday).