IMAGES: Hyderabad erupts after TRS rejects report

Image: A state transport bus set on fire by Telangana activists
Photographs: SnapsIndia Vicky Nanjappa

Violent protests against the Srikrishna Committee's report on the formation of Telangana intensified at the Osmania University campus on Thursday evening. The police had to resort to lathi-charge and fire rubber pellets at the agitating students. The police personnel deployed at the university had to fire in the air to quell the protests.

The students' joint action committee on Telangana has also called for a 48-hour bandh across Telangana on Friday. The pro-Telangana political parties have also decided to support the bandh call.

The violent protests have spread to the rest of the university campuses in the Telangana belt.

Meanwhile, the Telangana joint action committee has decided to meet again to discuss the issue. The JAC has decided to stage a non-cooperation movement from February.

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Burn the report, 2 day bandh: JAC

Image: Policemen take cover as pro-Telangana activists throw stones

Political activity too is hectic in the state.

The Joint Action Committee for Telangana has called for a two-day bandh, Friday and Saturday to protest the commission report. All shops, establishments, schools and colleges will remain shut these two days, the JAC has decided.

The JAC has also issued a directive to burn the Srikrishna Commission report in every district of Telangana.

In addition to this they have also said that they would launch a non-cooperation movement in all parts of Telangana from February onwards.

Telangana: Going the Hurriyat way?

Image: University students pelt stones on policemen during a protest

As the JAC meeting headed by Professor Kodandaram was on, members of various committees started burning the effigies of Justice Srikrishna.

The JAC meeting, which just concluded, has decided that it would not cooperate with the government to even implement a portion of the report as they feel it was the biggest betrayal ever since the movement started.

In addition to this, the JAC has also decided to issue a day wise calendar in order to take this movement forward. The calendar would have the day-to-day programmes that are to be carried out in support of the movement and would be distributed both district and taluk wise, the JAC decided.

Gandhigiri for Telangana

Image: Students take out a march against the Srikrishna committee report

The members, while speaking at the meeting, decided to adopt a non-cooperation movement to further their fight.

They have decided that violence would not be the way to go forward, but it would be best to adopt the Mahatma Gandhi policy. We are not in favour of violence, Prof Kodanda Ram said at the meeting.

There would be strikes and movements in every part of Telangana until statehood is granted, he added.

Only option is formation of a separate state

Image: Policemen fire teargas shells at protestors

K Chandrashekhar Rao, the supreme of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, will meet JAC members and chalk out the future course of action.

Rejecting the report, TRS general secretary Subhash Reddy said the options outlined in the report cannot be implemented.

The only option is formation of a separate state and they are not prepared to look beyond that, he said.

'We have been cheated'

Image: Policemen take cover as an irate mob pelts stones on them

"There is a lot of contradiction and a portion of the report, which suggests that a Greater Hyderabad should be formed is not something that the people have discussed or even asked for," he said, adding, "I do not know how that has made it to the report. The TRS will study the report in the next two days and will take a final decision on how to carry the protest forward."

All parties and organizations, which have been fighting for a separate state, have rejected the report outright. They say they have been cheated and that this was not the solution.

'It is up to the government to act on the report'

Image: The anger of the mob didn't stop at burning buses

Refusing to be drawn into the controversy, Srikrishna Commission member V Duggal, when contacted, said: "It (the report) is out in the public. It is up to the government to act on it. Our responsibility was to submit the report and we have done that."

The Students' JAC has upped the ante against the report. Some students, headed by their leader Dr Prithviraj, are protesting against the report in front of Parliament.

Dr Prithviraj told rediff.com that the report has been rejected and they will boycott all its recommendations. There is only one option available and that is to form a separate state.

'We want Telangana state and nothing else'

Image: Mob runs wild as policemen fire teargas shells to disperse them

Congress legislators from Telangana too echoed similar feelings saying the Centre should carve out a separate state as per its statement on December 9, 2009.

"We want Telangana state and nothing else. We hope the Centre will respect the wishes of the people of the region and grant statehood," Telangana Congress legislators, including R Damodar Reddy, Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, Rajaiah and Yadav Reddy said.

'First study the report, then act'

Image: A protestor boards a damaged bus

Academician and MLC Chukka Ramaiah too said nothing short of a separate Telangana state would do. Lok Satta Party spokesman Katari Srinivasa Rao said everyone should first study the Committee's report in detail.

"All political parties and people should ensure that peace prevails so that the Centre can take an appropriate decision."

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