Hyderabad, New Delhi:
After a day of violence and protests in Andhra Pradesh, the Congress is under pressure to make its stand clear on a separate Telangana state.
In Delhi, Sonia Gandhi met with her senior ministers like Defence Minister A K Antony and Home Minister P Chidambaram. In Hyderabad, Chief Minister K Rosaiah called a meeting of leaders from various political parties to explore what happens next.
The Congress has on record said its stand hasn't changed: it is ok in principle with the idea of a Telangana state "if there's a consensus on the issue."
But what protestors and several politicians want is a more assertive assurance, and they're demanding it aggressively.
At Osmania University in Hyderabad, tension over heavy police security on campus led to a lathi charge. Students argue there's no need for the police on campus. But last week saw students setting several trucks on fire, and after that, the university was closed till the 18th of December.
"We are doing the agitation in a peaceful manner. But the government is trying to provoke the students and instigate violence," said a student we met. Lawyers and other intellectuals also criticized the police deployment. Political leaders who tried to enter the campus were stopped.
"Student activity on the campus is also strengthening the Telangana movement and the government and the police feels that if it is suppressed, Telangana movement will get suppressed," said Professor Kodandaram, a lecturer at the University.
At the centre of this bandh, and the entire campaign, is K Chandrashekhar Rao, the chief of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS). His hunger strike continues, despite requests from the chief minister to end his fast.
The TRS wants the BJP, which is also in favour of a separate Telangana, to raise the pitch at the national level, inside Parliament. But they also concede that the ball is really in Sonia Gandhi's court.
On the second day of the TRS-sponsored Telangana bandh, several Delhi-bound trains were stopped for hours in Karimnagar district. Some 90,000 coal mine workers reportedly boycotted work at Singereni Colleries.
And the onus is now on the Congress government in Andhra to diffuse the tension.
In Delhi, Sonia Gandhi met with her senior ministers like Defence Minister A K Antony and Home Minister P Chidambaram. In Hyderabad, Chief Minister K Rosaiah called a meeting of leaders from various political parties to explore what happens next.
The Congress has on record said its stand hasn't changed: it is ok in principle with the idea of a Telangana state "if there's a consensus on the issue."
But what protestors and several politicians want is a more assertive assurance, and they're demanding it aggressively.
At Osmania University in Hyderabad, tension over heavy police security on campus led to a lathi charge. Students argue there's no need for the police on campus. But last week saw students setting several trucks on fire, and after that, the university was closed till the 18th of December.
"We are doing the agitation in a peaceful manner. But the government is trying to provoke the students and instigate violence," said a student we met. Lawyers and other intellectuals also criticized the police deployment. Political leaders who tried to enter the campus were stopped.
"Student activity on the campus is also strengthening the Telangana movement and the government and the police feels that if it is suppressed, Telangana movement will get suppressed," said Professor Kodandaram, a lecturer at the University.
At the centre of this bandh, and the entire campaign, is K Chandrashekhar Rao, the chief of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS). His hunger strike continues, despite requests from the chief minister to end his fast.
The TRS wants the BJP, which is also in favour of a separate Telangana, to raise the pitch at the national level, inside Parliament. But they also concede that the ball is really in Sonia Gandhi's court.
On the second day of the TRS-sponsored Telangana bandh, several Delhi-bound trains were stopped for hours in Karimnagar district. Some 90,000 coal mine workers reportedly boycotted work at Singereni Colleries.
And the onus is now on the Congress government in Andhra to diffuse the tension.
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