Hyderabad:
The demand for a separate state for Telangana swept through Parliament again this morning, with leaders of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) demanding an urgent discussion on the matter in the Lok Sabha.
In the region of Telangana in Andhra Pradesh, a one-day strike has meant that shops and offices are closed in 10 districts including Hyderabad. The strike has been called by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) "to protest the central government's insensitivity towards the demand for a separate state." The TRS, which has fronted an often-violent campaign for statehood has said buses are exempt from the strike because students who are in the middle of their exams should not be affected. The TRS won six of seven state assembly seats in by-elections earlier this month in Andhra Pradesh. Voters rewarded the party for pushing for the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh. The results have caused distress to Congress leaders - their party is in power in the state and the Centre, and they say they are being punished by voters for failing the Telangana cause.
While the shutdown evoked a mixed response in Hyderabad, it was total in most parts of the other nine districts.
In Warangal district, two people have committed suicide in recent days to protest the delay in the formation of a separate Telangana state.
A daily wage earner also set himself on fire in Wanaparthy town of Mahabubnagar district Monday, but escaped with injuries.
The shutdown is being supported by the Telangana Joint Action Committee, Telangana leaders of Congress, Telugu Desam Party, Bharatiya Janata Party, Osmania University Joint Action Committee and other groups.