Hyderabad, Dec 23 (IANS) Tension prevailed in Andhra Pradesh’s Telangana region as protests broke out at several places against the central government’s ‘u-turn’ on the issue of separate statehood for the region.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has called for a shutdown in Telangana, comprising Hyderabad and nine other districts, on Thursday.

Student groups in various districts have also called for a shutdown.

Tension prevailed around Osmania University campus as students came out on streets raising slogans against the government.

They also damaged 10 buses. Shopkeepers downed shutters in Tarnaka area near the campus.

Students of Nizam colleges and activists of Akhila Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) also began protests in different parts of Hyderabad.

ABVP has called for closure of all educational institutions in the region. As tension mounted, state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) stopped bus services in some areas.

Long queues were seen at petrol bunks here as motorists resorted to panic buying.

Police went on high alert, especially in Hyderabad, as the state government warned that it would deal firmly with those taking law into their hands.

Protests were also reported from Warangal and Nalgonda districts.

Police also imposed prohibitory orders in some districts.

Even before Chidambaram made the statement, pro-Telangana students clashed with the police in Warangal town and laid siege to the offices of the Congress and Telugu Desam Party (TDP).

Raising slogans of ‘Jai Telangana’, students of Kakatiya University clashed with police deployed on the university campus. They demanded that all the legislators, irrespective of their political affiliations, resign.