Normal life in 10 districts of Telangana region, including Hyderabad, has come to a grinding halt as the bandh called by an all-party joint action committee was total.
In view of rail blockade call given by 'Samaikyandhra Joint Action Committee' and Telangana Joint Action Committee in three regions of Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday, the South Central Railway is cancelling 88 train services.
Accusing the Congress and Telugu Desam Party leaders from Telangana of being insincere over their resignations in support of separate statehood demand, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and political Joint Action Committee on Wednesday announced an action plan to intensify the stir to make them quit and mount pressure on the Centre.
The Congress ministers from Telangana in Andhra Pradesh on Monday said they will not take back their resignations until the party high command sets a time-frame for the formation of a separate state."We won't take back our resignations till the high command acts within a time-frame for the formation of a separate state of Telangana and clarifies doubts over the second statement of Home Minister P Chidambaram made last week," said AP Civil Supplies Minister J Krishna Rao.
Holi was celebrated with pomp and splendor across India on Friday, with people soaking in the festivities by smearing 'gulaal' on each other and exchanging greetings and sweets. Homes and streets wore a colourful look as the revellers splashed colours and feasted on traditional delicacies. Public transport did not ply in the morning in most major cities while metro services started functioning from noon. As Holi coincided with the second Friday prayers during the holy Islamic month of Ramzan, security -- including increased patrolling and picketing -- was beefed up in several states. In Delhi, more than 25,000 security personnel were deployed. Police closely monitored about 300 sensitive areas with CCTV cameras and drones.
Normal life was badly affected as the day-long Hyderabad bandh called by the Telangana Political Joint Action Committee as part of the ongoing agitation for a separate state, began on Friday.
Activists have divided themselves into teams and positioned themselves in front of the houses of each and every Telugu Desam Party and Congress MLA and MP.
The Hyderabad police have registered 16 cases against pro-Telangana activists, including Telangana Rashtra Samithi leaders K Chandrasekhar Rao, in connection with the violence during the 'Million March' on Thursday.
Alleging that false cases are being foisted against those agitating for separate Telangana, the all-party Joint Action Committee, spearheading the agitation for a separate state, on Monday asked Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah to withdraw all such cases.
After the non-cooperation agitation, pro-Telangana parties and groups would now observe a 48-hour bandh in the region from tomorrow to mount pressure on the Centre to introduce a bill in the Budget session of Parliament for formation of separate Telangana.
Two groups -- one for a separate state of Telangana and the other for a united Andhra Pradesh -- are holding meetings in New Delhi and Lucknow to urge the government to rule in its favour. Vicky Nanjappa reports
Stepping up the agitation for introduction of a bill for formation of Telangana state in the budget session of Parliament, activists of the Telangana Rashtra Samithi, Bharatiya Janata Party, and several other organisations staged road blockades across the region on Monday.
Groups of students supporting the demand for a separate state of Telangana clashed with police at Osmania University campus for the second day on Friday.
The Telangana political Joint Action Committee (JAC), spearheading the separate Telangana agitation, on Wednesday demanded that a bill for formation of the separate state be introduced in the winter session of Parliament.
In fact, the students have given a call to the people to stop the ministers from entering their villages.
Rejecting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's appeal, Telangana protesters on Monday threatened to intensify their agitation if the Centre does not immediately announce the formation of the state even as Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrasekhar Rao declared he may go on a fast-unto-death.
Demanding that Centre make an announcement of formation of Telangana state by June 25, the Telangana political Joint Action Committee on Thursday said the members of Parliament and members of legislative assembly of the ruling Congress and opposition Telugu Desam Party should resign if this did not happen.
Andhra Pradesh's 57th formation day is being observed as a black day by the people of Telangana, who have been demanding a separate state. Black flags have been hoisted over all government offices in the Telangana region.
In a bid to intensify their protest seeking statehood status for Telangana, the members of the Telangana Rastriya Samithi and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday picketed the offices of all the district collectors. Members of both the parties came out in huge numbers and gheraoed the offices of the district collector and also shouted slogans in favour of a separate state.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti has postponed submission of resignations by its MLAs to the assembly speaker N Kirankumar Reddy by a few hours on the appeal of Telangana Joint Action Committee convenor Prof Kodandaram.
Dr Sangam Prithviraj Yadav, chief of the Students' Joint Action Committee for the Telangana movement, claims that the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, which has been at the forefront of the movement, is actually delaying the creation of a new state. In an interview with rediff.com's Vicky Nanjappa, he explains why.
The Joint Action Committee formed to spearhead the agitation for a separate Telangana, has removed the Telugu Desam Party from the body, saying it had gone against the committee's cause.
Andhra Pradesh was paralysed by yet another bandh on Wednesday, as rival organisations called for strike in Telangana and Andhra-Rayalseema regions on the issue of their share in government jobs in Hyderabad.
The announcement of creation of a separate state of Telangana was welcomed with jubilant celebration on Tuesday.
In the face of a virtual boycott by 13 ministers from Telangana region, a meeting of the Andhra Pradesh cabinet, scheduled to be held in Hyderabad on Wednesday, has been postponed."We have postponed the meeting in view of the bandh call given by the Telangana Joint Action Committee," Chief Minister K Rosaiah told reporters on Tuesday night. He, however, did not agree with the suggestion that the meeting was postponed because of the announcement by 13 ministers.
Demanding that the Telugu Desam Party take a clear stand on the separate statehood issue, the Telangana political Joint Action Commitee on Wednesday appealed to the people not to cooperate with the TDP for a public meeting proposed at Karimnagar.
A Joint Action Committee formed to address the Telangana issue decided on Wednesday night not to resort to bundhs, which affect public life.
Profesor Kodandaram, chairman of the Telangana Political Joint Action Committee, says that they still do not have faith in the Congress as they feel that the formation of the new state will be delayed.
With no decision on the Telangana issue yet, activists fighting for separate state have decided to take a more aggressive stand.
Dr Sangam Prithviraj, who leads the students at the Osmania University in Hyderabad, says that they were foolish to trust TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao and that now all students in all the 10 districts of Telangana will take the movement forward themselves.
At a meeting in Hyderabad on Monday afternoon, pro-Telangana activists decided to impose a ban on all national TV channels with immediate effect in the region. These activists believe that these channels have downplayed their agitation for a separate state. The students Joint Action Committee had informed cable operators in the Telangana region about the proposed step. The operators have decided to issue a circular across entire Telangana region.
Unwilling to accept Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's assurances, activists battling for a separate Telangana state have intensified their protests.
Telangana Rashtra Samiti president K Chandrasekhar Rao and a delegation of the Telangana political Joint Action Committee on Friday left for Delhi to press for an early decision in favour of a separate Telangana state. The delegation will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other important leaders including Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj, Rao told reporters. The BJP supports the demand for a separate Telangana state.
The latest statement by Union Home Minister P Chidambaram that the Centre would constitute a committee next week to examine the demand for Telangana state has left the all-party Joint Action Committee divided, with only Congress leaders from the region welcoming it.
Normal life was affected on Friday in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh following the day-long bandh called by the Telangana political Joint Action Committee.
The credit for the creation of Telangana goes to those who laid down their lives for the state, activists tell Vicky Nanjappa
Worried over his deteriorating health, doctors have advised Telangana Rashtra Samithi chief K Chandrasekhar Rao to call off his nearly ten day fast-unto-death.
Stepping up pressure, Congress MPs from Telangana on Tuesday sought an "early decision" from the party high command on their demand for a separate state.
The Centre on Thursday evening took the first significant step towards creation of a separate Telangana state from out of Andhra Pradesh and decided that Hyderabad will be the joint capital of the two states for 10 years.
The Joint Action Committee on Telangana has decided to continue its protest at the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi and also meet President Pratibha Patil.
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