Saturday, September 24, 2011

Telangana supporters begin rail-blockade

Telangana supporters began a 48-hour blockade of trains in the region from Saturday as part of the ongoing general strike in support of separate statehood demand. TRS and the Telangana political Joint Action Committee (JAC), which is organising the sakala janula samme (strike by all sections of people) since September 13, have made elaborate arrangements to make the agitation a grand success, TRS said in a release.

A number of trains have been cancelled, diverted or regulated in view of the 48-hour 'rail roko'. Many South-bound trains move via Telangana region to reach their destinations.

As part of the general strike, the Telangana supporters held rallies, fasts and other forms of protest across the region on Friday.

On Friday, schools, colleges and other educational institutions remained closed and the buses of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) continued to be suspended.

The plan of Telugu Desam leaders to hold fasts went awry as TRS and other Telangana supporters tried to obstruct them. Clashes took place between TDP activists and workers of TRS and others at some places in the process.

The TRS and others allege that the TDP does not have a clear stand on separate statehood demand and that the party president N Chandrababu Naidu is a hurdle in the formation of separate Telangana.

Congress Rajya Sabha member K Keshav Rao and other ruling party leaders expressed solidarity with pro-Telangana teachers at a protest.

Speaking on the occasion, Keshav Rao highlighted the need to secure separate Telangana.

The Telangana Congress MPs have made it clear to Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy and the party high command that a favourable decision on the separate Telangana demand must be taken at the earliest.

The legislators have been demanding that the party leadership take a positive decision on the Telangana issue by September end.

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