Hyderabad:
On a day a pro-Telangana march is being held in Hyderabad, the situation is tense at the Osmania University - so far, the epicentre of protests for separate statehood. The police resorted to lathi-charge and firing tear gas shells after students tried to break the security cordon as they approached the Necklace Road, the destination of today's rally. (Follow live updates here)
The rally has been called by the Joint Action Committee of Telangana, the engine of a movement that wants the state of Andhra Pradesh to be bifurcated. Hyderabad is geographically a part of the Telangana region; the other two parts of the state are Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema.
There is a sea of Telangana supporters at the Necklace Road. The crowd, however, is aggressive and is forcing most mediapersons to leave the venue.
High security arrangements are in place in the city to ensure that no untoward incident occurs due to the proposed march.
The government has imposed several restrictions on the rally. 12 express trains and 25 passenger trains have been cancelled; all cinema theatres and multiplexes in Greater Hyderabad limits will remain 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 Husain Sagar Lake.
Entry points to the city have been sealed and preventive arrests were carried out. The police said that hidden cameras have been fitted all over the city to keep an eye on anti-social elements.
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.
Meanwhile, a counter rally has been planned by votaries of united Andhra Pradesh in Vijayawada.
(With inputs from IANS)
The rally has been called by the Joint Action Committee of Telangana, the engine of a movement that wants the state of Andhra Pradesh to be bifurcated. Hyderabad is geographically a part of the Telangana region; the other two parts of the state are Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema.
There is a sea of Telangana supporters at the Necklace Road. The crowd, however, is aggressive and is forcing most mediapersons to leave the venue.
High security arrangements are in place in the city to ensure that no untoward incident occurs due to the proposed march.
The government has imposed several restrictions on the rally. 12 express trains and 25 passenger trains have been cancelled; all cinema theatres and multiplexes in Greater Hyderabad limits will remain 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 Husain Sagar Lake.
Entry points to the city have been sealed and preventive arrests were carried out. The police said that hidden cameras have been fitted all over the city to keep an eye on anti-social elements.
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.
Meanwhile, a counter rally has been planned by votaries of united Andhra Pradesh in Vijayawada.
(With inputs from IANS)
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