October 1, 2012
Tension gripped Hyderabad as violent clashes broke out between pro-Telangana supporters and the police in several parts of the city when the activists defied prohibitory orders and joined the “Telangana March” in a massive show of solidarity for a separate state.
October 1, 2012
Tension gripped Hyderabad as violent clashes broke out between pro-Telangana supporters and the police in several parts of the city when the activists defied prohibitory orders and joined the “Telangana March” in a massive show of solidarity for a separate state.
TJAC activists participate in the “Telangana March” in Hyderabad on Sunday. Photo: Nagara Gopal
Violating prohibitory orders, Telangana supporters headed towards the Necklace Road at Hussain Sagar lake, the venue of the event, and clashed with security personnel on their way.
Incidents of violence were reported from the Osmania University campus, Khairatabad and the Andhra Pradesh Secretariat.
When they were stopped from passing by the Secretariat Road and some other areas where prohibitory orders were in place, the protesters pelted stones and tried to remove the barricades which prompted the security personnel to lob tear gas shells after trying to chase them away.
“Protesters were directionless on their way towards the venue. They tried to proceed through prohibited areas,” Director General (law and order) S.A. Huda said.
“We have been monitoring the situation. It is tense but under control,” he said.
The protesters torched two police vehicles at People’s Plaza on the Necklace Road, police said.
Violence erupted on the Osmania University campus after pro-Telangana students clashed with police when they were prevented from taking out a rally to join the “Telangana March”.
Police used water cannons and lobbed teargas shells on pro-Telangana supporters near the venue as some of them allegedly tried to defy the orders and proceeded towards the Secretariat.
Permission was granted to organise the “Telangana March” from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Necklace Road, after talks were held between the government and the Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC).
Earlier report by our Special Correspondent:
A confrontation between students of Osmania University and the police on Sunday morning raised tension levels in the State capital, which is all set to witness the Telangana March called by Telangana Joint Action Committee and supported by various parties and organisations to press for bifurcation of the state.
Tension gripped the sunny Sunday morning in Hyderabad as groups of students attempted to break through a cordon of police personnel in riot gear arguing that they wanted to join the Telangana March on Necklace Road. The police however refused to allow them to leave the campus, leading to stone pelting by students and retaliatory lobbing of tear gas shells by the police. As news of the clash spread, atmosphere in other parts of the city also charged up.
A group of elected representatives including MPs and MLCs of the ruling party rushed to the Chief Minister’s camp office in Begumpet to “protest” against police action. As surprised police contingents moved into the high security zone to cordon off the Chief Minister’s camp office, MPs began shouting at them demanding that they be taken to Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy. The protestors were later taken into preventive custody.
Meanwhile, the Ganesh idol immersion which was to expected to be completed by Sunday morning, was still continuing on Tank Bund and NTR Marg side of the Necklace Road. The Telangana March is to take place between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Sanjeevaiah Park side. People from Secunderabad have arrived at the march site.
Security has been stepped up across the city, near buildings and business centres and on the outskirts, in the wake of the burning of a toll plaza on the Outer Ring Road allegedly by the activists of the Telangana United Front (TUF) two days ago.
Anticipating trouble, the South Central Railway has cancelled more than a dozen express trains and 25 passenger trains either originating or passing through Hyderabad on Sunday. All local and MMTS trains have also been cancelled.
Courtesy: PTI
