The Bharat Bandh organised by Congress and Left parties in the State, protesting against the farm laws of the Centre, on Monday evoked mixed response in the State.
The bus fleet of Telangana State Road Transport Corporation, cab services, auto-rickshaw and other transport services were plying on the road as usual in the State capital, but the buses were obstructed in districts.
A scuffle ensued between the police and the agitationists when they tried to stop buses coming out of Hanamkonda depot. Over 800 buses were off roads in the erstwhile Mahabubnagar district. Telangana Congress Committee president A. Revanth Reddy and his followers were arrested near Uppal bus depot in Hyderabad while the president of Telangana Jana Samiti M. Kodandaram’s clothes were torn in another protest at Hayathnagar. The police banged at the window panes of Mr. Kodandaram’s car, pulled him out and physically moved him into their own vehicle and shifted him to Meerpet police station.
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The movement of people was curtailed largely due to the incessant downpour caused by the Gulab cyclone in the Bay of Bengal.
Despite calls given by various trade unions of Left parties in the city and across the State, all commercial establishments and business houses were operating normally. Political parties and farmers’ unions who supported the bandh call were also not to be seen enforcing strict compliance with the call. Thanks to the inclement weather, the police also did not deploy much force anticipating a lacklustre turnout. However, several teams were deployed around the Assembly in view of the ongoing monsoon session.
“We anticipated there won’t be much response to the bandh call in the State, so did not deploy forces,” a senior officer said.
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