Train services across Telangana region were paralysed on Tuesday as TRS, TDP and BJP workers along with other Telangana supporters began a dawn-to-dusk ‘rail roko’ agitation in support of the separate statehood demand.
Scores of activists of various political parties blocked trains at several places in various Telangana districts of Nalgonda, Warangal, Mahabubnagar and also Hyderabad as per the ‘Palle Palle Pattala Paiki’ (villages on railway tracks) agitation called by the Telangana political Joint Action Committee (JAC).
Telugu Desam leaders from the Telangana region have been demonstrating at the Secunderabad railway station here, the headquarters of South Central Railway, since 6 a.m. and were taken into custody by the security personnel.
“Our intention is not to inconvenience the people. This is to send a message across to the Centre that it should form separate Telangana,” senior TDP MLA P. Venugopalachary told reporters at the Secunderabad railway station.
TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter K. Kavitha took part in the stir at Bibinagar in Nalgonda district. The TDP, she alleged, has not made sincere efforts to achieve separate Telangana. TRS chief’s son and party MLA K. T. Rama Rao participated in the agitation at Moula-Ali Railway Station in the city.
JAC convener M. Kodandaram participated in the rail blockade at Ghatkesar. In a bid to mount pressure on the Centre for formation of a separate Telangana, the JAC has called for rail blockade agitation across the region on Tuesday. CPI workers are also taking part in the protest.
The JAC convener has appealed to workers of all parties and residents of villages living along the railway tracks to squat on the tracks from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
