The ‘bandh’ across Telangana region on Saturday in response to a call given by Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) and other organisations to protest the attitude of the State government in allowing AP NGOs’ ‘Save AP’ meeting was total.
Dozens of Telangana activists were arrested across the region when they tried to block vehicular traffic on the roads and to obstruct the vehicles carrying AP NGOs to their meeting here. Chairman of TJAC M. Kodandaram was also arrested here when he went to Goshamahal stadium to express solidarity with Telangana activists kept there by the police after being arrested.
Incidents of stone-pelting on passing vehicles carrying the employees from Seemandhra regions to the ‘Save AP’ meeting were reported from Khammam, Nalgonda, Mahabubnagar and Ranga Reddy districts. A few employees sustained minor injuries in such incidents at Suryapet, Jadcharla, Bhoothpur, Abdullapurmet and a few other places.
The response to bandh call was successful as all sections of people responded to the call. All commercial establishments, educational institutions, cinema halls, banks and most of the petrol bunks remained closed across the region.
Even in areas such as KPHB and L.B. Nagar where people from Seemandhra regions live in large numbers the bandh was total unlike in the past.
Over 8,500 APSRTC buses in Telangana region, including the twin cities did not ply, as about 60,000 employees affiliated to the Telangana Mazdoor Union and the APSRTC Employees Union (Telangana wing) supported the bandh call.
Speaking to reporters Mr. Kodandaram said the bandh was a huge success and it should spur the Centre to speed up the process for formation of Telangana. He complimented the people for observing restraint in spite of provocation by Seemandhra leaders and AP NGOs. The TJAC would announce its future course of action in the next few days, he said.
