Telangana protests flare up, police fire teargas shells at protesters

Mangalore Today News Network

Hyderabad, June 14, 2013: The Telangana protests have flare up yet again in Hyderabad as the police fired teargas shells to disperse the protesters. No injuries were reported in the teargas firing.

Meanwhile, two rebel Telangana Congress MPs G Viveka and Manda Jagannath have courted arrest even as hundreds of pro-Telangana activists have been taken into protective custody. A group of protesters tried to force their way to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly but were stopped by the police.

The members of the Telangana Joint Action Committee were marching towards the state assembly with the demand for separate statehood. Students at the Osmania University also had a scuffle with the police when they were stopped from participating in the march.

 

The Assembly has been adjourned till Monday with the TRS, BJP and the CPI interrupting the house over the Telangana issue. But the Congress says a decision on Telangana will be taken only after the Assembly session is over.

TRS MLA KT Rama Rao said that the Congress should no more delay its decision on the issue. "The Congress has delayed by 3 and a half years already, their comittment was made then. Their delay has already costed a lot of lives and unrest in Telangana. Now let them not delay any further. Let them come forward, If they are not willing to give Telangana, let them say so," he said.

Police in Hyderabad went on high alert on Friday, imposing orders banning meetings and rallies, closing flyovers and roads leading towards the assembly building in the heart of the city. The assembly has turned into a fortress with the deployment of armed policemen including personnel from the central paramilitary forces.

Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy once again ruled out giving permission for ’chalo assembly’ when some ministers from Telangana region called on him. He said since there were apprehensions of Maoists joining the gathering, the government can’t allow protest on the outskirts, let alone in the city.

The chief minister held a meeting with Director General of Police V Dinesh Reddy and other top officials on Thursday evening to review the security situation. Across Telangana region, police had on Thursday arrested hundreds of people as a precautionary measure to prevent them from leaving for Hyderabad. Policemen were checking buses and other vehicles heading for Hyderabad.

Courtesy: IBN Live