‘Rail roko’ hits Telangana, 124 trains cancelled

The Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) on Saturday began a three-day ‘rail blockade’ in the region beginning to press for the demand of creating a separate state.

As the blockade started, police arrested hundreds of leaders and activists of Telangana movement.

K Kavita, leader of Telangana Jagruti, a cultural outfit of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), became the first leader to be arrested under the Railway Act when she along with others squatted on the railway track at Moula Ali near Hyderabad.

Kavita, daughter of TRS chief K Chandrasekhara Rao, was forcibly lifted by police and shifted to Keesara police station.

Rao's son and TRS legislator K Taraka Rama Rao, along with scores of leaders and activists of the JAC, were arrested at Sitaphalmandi in Secunderabad when they were going to participate in the 'rail blockade'.

The TRS leader warned the government of serious consequences if it continued to use police for committing excesses on people participating in the movement.

Three MPs of ruling Congress -- Ponnam Prabhakar, G Vivek and Rajaiah -- were also arrested in Karimnagar and Warangal districts when they were going to block the trains.

Dozens of other leaders, including legislators, were either kept under house arrest or were detained while they were heading towards the railway tracks.

The arrests were made across Telangana, which comprises 10 districts including Hyderabad. Over 100 protestors were arrested in Mahabubnagar district alone.

In view of the agitation, the Railways have already cancelled 124 trains in Andhra Pradesh’s Telangana region from October 15 to 17.

Among the cancelled trains are 48 express and 76 passenger trains. Railway officials said as many as 38 express and 16 passenger trains would also be partially cancelled during the three days.

Further, the South Central Railway is diverting 68 express trains.

The JAC had earlier twice postponed the rail blockade. The three-day blockade was originally planned on October 9, 10 and 11 but was postponed to October 12, 13 and 14. The JAC again deferred it to October 15, 16 and 17.

The police yesterday said that they would take stern action against protestors who resort to violence.

Meanwhile, Congress MPs said that they would participate in the 'rail roko' in support of the separate statehood demand, despite appeals from the party not to do so.

Congress Lok Sabha member G Vivek said demanded that the state government postpone the Group-II examination for recruitment of various posts in the state government and stop the arrests of Telangana agitators.

Also, Congress MLA and former minister Jupally Krishna Rao submitted his resignation from the post in support of the Telangana demand.

TRS president Rao demanded that the ministers quit in support of the separate statehood goal.

Telangana: After Rajghat protest, KCR may meet PM

A day after holding a sit-in at Rajghat in support of his demand for the creation of a new Telangana state out of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao is expected to meet the Prime Minister on Monday.

A 30-member delegation led by the TRS chief left for the national capital on Friday to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The TRS chief has warned that the agitation on the issue will continue till the goal is achieved.

He also questioned the government's stance to hold "further consultations" on the issue.

The protest came even as senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said in Hyderabad that the issue would be settled soon.

Rao and his supporters observed silence for a few hours at Rajghat, the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi in central Delhi, on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti to highlight the "grave situation" in the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh.

"We've been requesting the government to come forward and it is up to them to take a decision. We are not going to stop this movement or strike till we achieve Telangana state," KCR said.

The TRS alongwith the Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) members were present at the protest. The members joined the prayer meeting held at the memorial of Gandhi, before speaking to mediapersons.

Asked if the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government had requested for more time to take a decision, Rao said, "Do they think we are ignorant? How long are they going to cheat us? What more discussion do they want? (In) what way is our demand complicated?"

Rao, who has been camping here since Friday, said the government had made a promise in parliament. "What is the state of democracy? This will bring shame to the country." Rao accused the government of trying to provoke them to adopt violent methods of protest.

"From here (Rajghat), we want to give a message, we have been silent, democratic and non-violent all through and we will continue in the same way and would not be affected by the provocation," he added.

Asked how long the movement for a separate state would continue, the TRS leader said, "As long as the government of India keeps mum, this movement will continue."

TRS legislator KT Rama Rao said, "We are planning to meet the Prime Minister and his cabinet colleagues and probably the core committee members because they are the ones who make the decisions."

"I want to remind you that when it came to Jan Lokpal Bill, the government said that whatever is said on the floor of the house is supreme. Now why does not the same logic apply to us as well?," he asked.

In Hyderabad, Azad said consultations with the elected representatives of all three regions of Andhra Pradesh -- Telangana, coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema -- were completed but there was need for more consultations on the issue at the national level.

"We need more consultations at the national level. I would not be able tell you the exact date but we will try to settle this issue as soon as possible."

"We are also conscious of the situation. Lots of people are suffering because of the strike. I can't say we will do it tomorrow or day after but we are trying to settle the impasse as soon as possible," he added.

Azad appealed to government employees in Telangana to call off their strike, saying it was causing inconvenience to people.

"I am appealing to government employees in Telangana who are on strike for 20 days to withdraw the strike and cooperate with the people, especially in view of the festivals," he said.

The union minister said the strike had led to electricity shortage and hardships for farmers. He said labourers were hit hard as they were not getting work due to the strike.

Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee said Saturday that the government was aware of the "gravity" of the ongoing agitation in Andhra Pradesh's Telangana region and needed "some more time" to find a solution to the vexed issue.

Congress leaders from Telangana are also pressing their leadership for an early decision in favour of creating a new state.

Telangana crisis: Congress to hold further talks

The agitation for a separate state has gained further momentum with a shutdown called by Telangana groups across the region in Andhra Pradesh badly affecting life as the Congress core committee met in the national capital to discuss a report by state-in charge Ghulam Nabi Azad and decided to hold further talks on the issue.

A day-long shutdown called by the Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) as part of the ongoing general strike for a separate Telangana state hit normal life in Hyderabad Friday. The shutdown was peaceful and near total in most parts of Hyderabad and its twin city Secunderabad as shops, business establishment and educational institutions were closed.

The JAC has also called for indefinite industrial shutdown in four of the region's nine districts from Oct 3 - Khammam, Warangal, Karimnagar and Adilabad.

The strike by government employees and workers of Singareni Collieries continued for the 18th day Friday while the strike by employees of the state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) ensured the state buses remained off the road for the 12th day.

The strike by about 70,000 employees of Singareni Collieries has paralysed coal production in 50 mines spread over four districts. The strike has so far caused a loss of over Rs.300 crore and affected power generation in thermal power stations.

In New Delhi, Congress president Sonia Gandhi attended the party core committee meeting, held at Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's official residence and attended by senior ministers and leaders.

Since the issue of Telangana is a highly complicated one, the committee has suggested further discussions in the party, in the government and between the government and other parties, an informed source told a news agency.

Friday's meeting discussed the report on the situation in Andhra Pradesh prepared by Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is party in-charge of the state. However, the report was not categorical on a solution, sources added.

Azad had submitted the report to Gandhi earlier in the day. The report has been prepared after assessing the views of party leaders from various parts of the state.

Meanwhile, several MPs and leaders of the Congress have been camping in Delhi to persuade the leadership for an early decision. The situation in Telangana has been highly volatile in the past few days because of the resumed agitation for the statehood.

Several party leaders from Telangana region met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee Thursday to press for for statehood for Telangana.

Congress MP from Nizamabad Madhu Goud Yaskhi told a news agency that there were indications the party leadership will take a decision in favour of a separate Telangana.

He said once a decision is taken by the Congress on demand for new state, the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government will take it up further.

He said other parties such as Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and All India Majlis-E-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) seemed to be waiting for the stand of the Congress.

Another party leader, K Keshava Rao, said that party leaders were keen to stay in the capital till a decision is taken on the demand for creation of new state.

Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhara Rao and other leaders of the Telangana movement Friday left for New Delhi to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and urge him to take an early decision on formation of a separate state.

KCR, as Rao is popularly known, told reporters that the 30-member delegation would call on the prime minister, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj and other key leaders Saturday.

KCR, a member of Parliament, alleged that the state government was trying to give a violent turn to the ongoing agitation.

Telangana celebrates liberation day amid tension

Tension gripped parts of Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh on Saturday as pro-Telangana activists forcibly tried to unfurl national flags atop government buildings to mark the liberation day.

Police arrested activists of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) and other groups when they tried to barge into government offices in some districts to hoist the national flag.

About 50 BJYM activists were taken into custody for barging into the office of the district collector in Mahabubnagar to hoist the tricolour.

Police arrested former minister and Congress leader J Krishna Rao and his supporters in Mahabubnagar when they were heading towards Parade Grounds to unfurl the national flag.

BJYM activists succeeded in hoisting the flag at the office of Nizamabad district collectorate.

Activists of Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) and other groups were also arrested by police in Nalgonda, Medak, Warangal, Adilabad and Karimnagar districts for trying to hoist national flag atop government buildings.

Telangana supporters unfurled both the national flag and the Telangana flag at several places in the region. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader N Narasimha Reddy hoisted both the flags at party headquarters Telangana Bhavan in Hyderabad.

State Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayan unfurled the national flag at party headquarters Gandhi Bhavan and felicitated freedom fighters.

Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu also joined the liberation day celebrations, unfurling the tricolour at TDP head office NTR Trust Bhavan.

It was on this day in 1948 that then Hyderabad state was merged with the Indian Union following the surrender of Nizam's army before the Indian Army. This followed what is popularly known as 'police action'.

Telangana, which comprises 10 districts including Hyderabad, was part of Hyderabad state. In 1956, Telangana was merged with the then Andhra state to form Andhra Pradesh while Marathi and Kannada speaking regions of Hyderabad state were merged with Maharashtra and Karnataka respectively.

The BJP and some other groups have long been demanding that the government officially celebrate the Telangana liberation day.

Successive governments in Andhra Pradesh have turned down the demand on the ground that this could create communal trouble in view of the serious reservations of the Muslim community.

Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) and other Muslim groups are opposed to any celebrations as they claim "excesses" were committed on Muslims during the 'police action'.

Telangana liberation day is being celebrated this year at a time when the movement for a separate state of Telangana has intensified.

Government employees, teachers, lawyers and workers of state-owned Singareni Collieries Company Limited in the region are on an indefinite strike for the last five days, seeking a separate state.