The Andhra Pradesh government has requisitioned para-military forces from the Centre as also police forces from neighbouring States to cope with the situation arising from the violence in the Telangana region in the wake of Union Home Minister P. Chidambaram's statement in New Delhi on Wednesday.
Inspector General of Police A.R. Anuradha, spokesperson of the police, said a few platoons of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Border Security Force (BSF) have already arrived along with the contingents of police from other States and are being rushed to the trouble spots.
She told journalists that pro-Telangana activists resorted to violence at various places. Eight incidents were reported in Medak district where the tahsildar office at Dubbak and post-office at Chinna Kodur were set ablaze. Over 41 persons were taken into custody in this connection along with 121 others who were involved in 14 other cases in the district.
Since Wednesday night when Mr. Chidambaram made the announcement, eight RTC buses have been burnt in the region — five in Hyderabad, two in Nalgonda and one in Suryapet. 50 other RTC buses were damaged, 34 in Hyderabad, eight in Karimnagar, three each in Adilabad and Warangal, and one each in Medak and Nizamabad districts. Two private buses were burnt at Hyderabad.
A decision has been taken to book cases under the relevant sections of law with assistance of courts, against those making “provocative statements” thus inciting and motivating people to take to violence. Cases will be filed after informing the person responsible for such statements, Ms. Anuradha said.
In Hyderabad, there were incidents of violence in areas around Osmania University at Tarnaka, Manikeswarnagar, Vidyanagar and Lalaguda. Restrictions had been imposed on the movement of students in the university as they might come out in groups and cause trouble. Additional forces were being deployed in the campus after 20 platoons of police and one company of the Rapid Action Force were found to be inadequate to meet the situation.
She appealed to the students “to think twice” before indulging in violence. She also urged television channels to exercise restraint in telecasting visuals of the violence.
PTI reports:
The Centre on Thursday rushed 1,150 additional para-military men to Andhra Pradesh in the wake of a 48-hour bandh called by the TRS in Telangana region.
Ten companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were airlifted from here as well as from Jalandhar and Chandigarh to be sent to Hyderabad, a senior Home Ministry official said.
With this, the total strength of central forces in the state will increase from 28 companies to 38 companies, comprising about 4,000 men.
The step has been taken keeping in view of the volatile situation in the state after the Centre last night said the situation has “altered” in Andhra Pradesh since its announcement on a separate state.
The announcement has triggered angry reaction from TRS, which has given a 48-hour bandh call in the region.
