Hyderabad: Protest for a separate Telangana state intensified further on Thursday with Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislators launching a ‘bus yatra’, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) planning joint agitation and students taking out rallies even as anti-Telangana protests began in Andhra and Rayalaseema regions.
In a tactical move, Telangana JAC postponed two-day rail blockade, which was to begin on Friday. The apex body, spearheading the movement, will announce new dates after consultations with all public representatives who submitted their resignations for a separate state.
As Congress, TDP, Communist Party of India and other parties are not part of the JAC, it decided to launch a united struggle by involving them in consultations.
JAC chairman M Kodandaram also announced postponement of cooking on roads protest in Telangana scheduled for Sunday. Claiming that mass resignations of 15 MPs and about 100 legislators had stirred the central government into action, Kodandaram stressed the need to carry along all parties and groups.
In another crucial decision, unions of government employees in Telangana said they were ready for non-cooperation movement and even strike.
In response to the JAC call, students boycotted classes and took out rallies in various towns of Telangana. For the third consecutive day, there was tension at Osmania University here as police fired teargas shells to disperse students trying to take out a rally.
TDP legislator Devineni Uma said the MPs and lawmakers of Andhra and Rayalaseema were ready to resign. He warned centre that it would be responsible for any consequences of carving out a separate Telangana state. (IANS)
