Hyderabad:
After defying the 7 pm deadline set by the police, thousands of protesters called off Telangana march in Hyderabad on Sunday evening. But not before the Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) called for a 48-hour bandh from Monday to put pressure on the government to come to a decision on its demand for a separate state.
Sunday's march was marred by incidents of violence. Police used water cannons to disperse thousands of protesters gathered on Necklace Road, on the banks of Hussainsagar lake. They braved police action and heavy rains, even threatened to carry on with their agitation at night.
JAC convenor M Kodandaram and other leaders had earlier asked the supporters to stay put at the venue till the central government agreed to the demand for a separate state. "We are asking for an announcement of a road map on accepting the Telangana demand. Let's sit here as long as we can. We are not troubling anybody by sitting here," he said, while addressing the protesters.
Earlier, protesters set afire two police and three media vehicles and tried to attack a restaurant, amusement park and an MMTS station. People from the city and neighbouring districts converged on Necklace Road as tension mounted due to clashes in surrounding areas. 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 proceed towards the Secretariat. Police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the protesters who were pelting stones at the 'Telugu Talli' fly-over bridge near the Secretariat.
(Follow updates here)At a late night press conference, Hyderabad's Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma said at least 25 cops, including one senior official and several protesters were injured in the violence. 25 police vehicles were damaged of which three were torched by protesters.
The government had imposed several restrictions on the rally. 12 express trains and 25 passenger trains were cancelled; all cinema theatres and multiplexes in Greater Hyderabad limits remained closed today. Apprehending trouble, the state police chief had refused permission to the Telangana march on the Tank Bund. But with political pressure from all parties, including Congress leaders from Telangana, the state government has, as a compromise, decided to allow the rally from 3 pm to 7 pm on the on Necklace Road on the edge of Hussainsagar Lake.
Entry points to the city were sealed and preventive arrests were carried out. The police used hidden cameras fitted all over the city to keep an eye on anti-social elements.
There was tension at the Osmania University campus on Sunday morning, ahead of the march, after pro-Telangana students clashed with the police when they were prevented from taking out a rally to join the rally. Several students broke the barricades on the campus and pelted stone at the police who retaliated by firing tear-gas shells. Some of the protesters were taken into preventive custody.
Telangana Congress MPs who were trying to stage a
dharna outside Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy's office against preventive arrests and restrictions were also arrested and taken away by the police.
"The government gave permission for the 'march'. Congress workers from my constituency were coming to Hyderabad for the march but they were stopped and detained. I am getting calls. Other (Congress) MPs were getting similar calls. We wanted to meet the Chief Minister, but we were not allowed. CM did not meet us so... we held
dharna," Congress MP Madhu Yashki Goud said.
In March last year, a
Chalo Hyderabad rally on Tank Bund had got out of control. Statues of eminent people belonging to non-Telangana region were vandalised. The state government would not want to be embarrassed again, especially because a prestigious UN Convention on Biodiversity is set to kick off in the city on Monday. There are 8000-odd delegates from 193 countries in Hyderabad for the UN conference.
"Some 8000 delegates from 193 countries will be here. We are having a lot of paramilitary force also to ensure all goes well. We are fully prepared," said V Dinesh Reddy, Director General of Police, Andhra Pradesh.
The police were also against giving the permission in view of the Ganesh idol immersion expected to stretch till the afternoon. "The JAC leaders have given written assurance that the rally will be peaceful... Cases under stringent sections will be booked if there is any attempt to disrupt peace," Mr Reddy said.
Three years ago, it was apprehensions of another massive pro-Telangana march that led to a surprise midnight announcement by P Chidambaram, who was then union Home Minister. In Delhi, on December 10, 2009, he said the centre had decided to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh. The backlash was so severe from those who do not live in Telangana that the decision was rescinded. Since then, the politically sensitive issue has been put on hold by Delhi, while pro-Telangana parties, led by the TRS and its K Chandrasekhara Rao (KCR), have been urging the central government to deliver what it once promised. Congress leaders from Andhra Pradesh and Governor ESL Narasimhan, who is believed to be against the idea of a new state, have met recently with Congress president Sonia Gandhi in Delhi. Sources in the party say that it is not prepared to risk another political agitation or political alienation ahead of the next general election, scheduled for 2014.
(With inputs from Agencies)