Quarrying operations in Vikarabad, Telangana, have been temporarily suspended to protect a rock eagle owl and its eggs. The forest department intervened after being alerted by wildlife photographers and conservationists.
On the 30th day of the indefinite general strike, the Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday engaged the Telangana Employees' Joint Action Committee in talks for the first time but no breakthrough appeared in sight.
Tension prevailed in Hyderabad after a Plaster of Paris idol was partially damaged at a temple, leading to protests, attacks on police, and vandalism of a religious structure. Police have registered two cases and are investigating the incidents.
Inspector general of police, Bastar Range, Sundarraj P said that bodies of seven Maoist cadres have been recovered from the encounter site so far.
'The Maoist leadership spread fear that surrender meant torture or death. Once that false narrative collapsed and our operations proved transparent and credible, the surrender momentum became irreversible.' 'From 42,000 square kilometres, Maoist activity is now confined to barely 500-600 square kilometres -- less than two per cent of Bastar. This is their last remaining base area.'
Security forces have established a new camp in the Karregutta Hills along the Chhattisgarh-Telangana border, a former Naxal stronghold, following a major anti-Naxal operation.
Telangana's anti-narcotics wing, the EAGLE Force, conducted a multi-state operation against a Nigerian drug cartel, resulting in over 50 arrests and the seizure of narcotics worth Rs 3.5 crore.
Top Naxalite commander Madvi Hidma, who had masterminded several attacks over the last two decades, was killed in an encounter in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, a breakthrough Chhattisgarh Police described as the 'last nail in the coffin' of the insurgency.
The indefinite strike of the Telangana employees, officers, teachers and workers in support of a separate state has been postponed. The Telangana Joint Action Committee on Thursday decided to put it off by about four weeks in view of the holy months of Ramazan and Shravan.
'Sujatha's decision to surrender reflects the deep crisis of confidence that the Maoist ranks are facing in recent times.'
The Telangana Joint Action Committee went ahead with its 'vanta varpu' or cook-and-eat agitation on the roads in Hyderabad on Sunday to press for a separate Telangana state.
Breaking the lull in their agitation, the pro-Telangana activists have called for a strike on September 5 to stall the Group I preliminary examinations of the Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission. The bandh call has been given by the Osmania University Students Joint Action Committee to press its demand for a quota for the Telangana region in Group I jobs of the state government. Their stand is being supported by the Telangana Joint Action Committee.
'There will be no change of seats for Delhi, Assam and Maharashtra.' 'Andhra, J&K, Kerala, Punjab, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, West Bengal and Telangana will lose seats while there will be an increase for MP, UP, Bihar, Haryana, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh.' 'It is a big mistake if you make it a north-south issue.'
With the Andhra Pradesh High Court granting conditional permission, the way is now clear for the ABVP to organise its 'Rana Bheri' rally in support of a separate Telangana state on Saturday, which will be addressed by senior party leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Sushma Swaraj.
Prof. Kodanda Ram, chairman of the Joint Action Committee, is clear about its stand and says that there is no compromise formula that is available now.
Normal life was disrupted in the Telangana region on Monday due to a bandh called by the Telangana Joint Action Committee to protest police action against members of parliament and Members of Legislative Assembly during Saturday's rail roko.
Alleging that the Andhra Pradesh government resorted to repressive measures to put down the Telangana agitation on Friday, Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao has called for a bandh in the Telangana region on Saturday.
The Telangana Joint Action Committee, Telangana Rashtra Samithi and other pro-Telangana parties on Wednesday criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks that the Centre was trying to arrive at a consensus on Telangana issue.
The Telangana Rastriya Samithi has upped the ante against the idea of sharing the capital once Telangana is formed. At Hyderabad, the TRS has warned that it would lead to serious repercussions in case Hyderabad is shared.
Normal life was badly affected in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh as the 48-hour bandh called by Telangana Joint Action Committee in support of their demand for early introduction of a bill for formation of a separate state, began on Tuesday.
As Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh remained shut on the second consecutive day in response to the 48-hour general strike call by the Telangana Joint Action Committee, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti has warned the Congress leaders of the region against any compromise with their central leaders.
The Telangana Joint Action Committee has extended the deadline for the resignations of public representatives from Telangana till February 7 in view of Thursday's statement of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram that The Centre will constitute a committee to look into the Telangana issue, within a week.
The meeting was attended by CMs of Kerala, Punjab and Telangana -- Pinarayi Vijayan, Bhagwant Manna and A Revanth Reddy, Karnataka deputy CM DK Shivakumar, and senior BRS leader KT Ramarao among others.
The present dimensions of Andhra Pradesh politics is likely to change with over 1000 people's representatives deciding to submit their mass resignations on Tuesday after a crucial meeting of the Telangana Joint Action Committee in Hyderabad at 2 pm.
The bandh called by the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Telangana Joint Action Committee and several other organisations brought normal life in the region to a grinding halt on Saturday. The bandh was called to protest Friday's firing on pro-Telangana activists who tried to stop the visit of Congress Member of Parliament from Kadapa YS Jaganmohan Reddy to Warangal district. Nearly five hundred pro-Telangana activists were arrested.
What has surprised the industry is that the Bill has been tabled without any consultation. Critics warn the ban on real-money gaming could fuel black markets, endanger 200,000 jobs and billions in tax revenue.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi Member of Legislative Assembly K T Rama Rao and other leaders and activists of different pro-Telangana organisations were on Sunday taken in custody when they attempted to participate in the Samara Deeksha protest at Indira Park in Hyderabad.
The Telangana Joint Action Committee and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti organised a massive rally in Hyderabad making a fervent appeal to the people of the region not to resort to suicides. Mohammed Siddique reports.
Widespread protests, demonstrations, road blockades and rallies were held in several Telangana districts while Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) activists allegedly attacked Civil Supplies Department's godown and burnt vehicles in Mahabubnagar district.
This was in accordance with the larger strategy of creating a constitutional and political crisis in Andhra Pradesh to force Centre's hand on Telangana state. Of the 119 MLAs of the region, only 77 have sent their resignations so far.
Even as JAC, comprising the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party and other people's organisations met in Hyderabad to chalk out the future course of action, TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu lashed out at TRS holding it responsible for Thursday's attack on his senior party colleague N Janardhan Reddy.
'There is responsibility to make great games that are played by audiences, that fill the gap from an entertainment perspective.'
Hyderabad is getting ready for yet another show of strength by the supporters of a separate Telangana state. Lakhs of people are expected to respond to a call given by the Telangana Joint Action Committee to attend the Sagara Haaram March on Sunday afternoon.
Pressuring the legislators and Members of Parliament of Telangana region to resign in support of separate state, the Telangana Joint Action Committee on Friday assured all such representatives that they will be re-elected to their respective positions unanimously.
The stage was set for a do-or-die battle for separate Telangana state, as government employees and teachers of the region along with all the other sections of the society will go on an indefinite strike from Tuesday.
Is the Telangana Joint Action Committee, formed to take the separate Telangana movement forward, heading for a split? The resignation issue has upset a majority of the Congress leaders, who are part of the Telangana JAC, and they have threatened to pull out of it.
The Telangana Joint Action Committee, comprising of all political parties and a large number of people's organisations has set a deadline of January 28 for the central government to announce a time-bound program for the formation of Telangana state.
The Telangana Joint Action Committee has called for a bandh in Telangana region on Friday.
The Telangana Joint Action Committee has called for a bandh in Telangana region on Friday.
The row kicked up by the ministers of Andhra and Rayala Seema region, who called agitators demanding a separate Telangana state 'anti-national and seditious', intensified on Thursday with pro-Telangana leaders urging the state governor to dismiss these ministers from the cabinet. A delegation of Telangana Rashtra Samiti and Telangana Joint Action Committee, headed by K Chandrasekhara Rao and Professor Kodanda Ram, met Governor ESL Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan.