Hyderabad, Dec 23 (IANS) Alleging that the central government had betrayed the people of Telangana region, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) Wednesday called for a 48-hour shutdown in the region and said all MPs and legislators irrespective of party affiliation would quit enmasse.
An angry TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao told reporters that the government had put the Telangana issue on the backburner. ‘People of Telangana have been once again betrayed. The statement has no clarity and no time frame,’ he said.
‘How long will it take for the formation of Telangana state. Another 50 years? How many more people have to die,’ he asked.
The TRS president, who was accompanied by leaders of the Congress and Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) legislators, appealed to the people, especially the youth and students to be peaceful during protests.
KCR, as Rao is popularly known, also announced that all public representatives from village level bodies to the parliament from the region would quit enmasse. ‘We all will come under one banner and line up to submit our resignations,’ he said.
KCR said the Joint Action Committee of all parties and groups fighting for Telangana state would be formed Thursday to decide the future course of action.
He warned the state government against adopting double standards while dealing with protests in Telangana and other regions.
‘Even before Mr. Chidambaram (home minister) made the statement, police imposed prohibitory orders in Telangana districts but in other regions there were no such orders and every party was allowed to protest in the manner they liked,’ he said.
‘Rosaiah should withdraw these orders otherwise you will face a volatile situation. You will have no moral authority to continue as your government will be reduced to minority after we submit our resignations,’ he said.
The central government softened its stance on the formation of separate Telangana state Wednesday with Chidambaram stressing that there was need to hold wide-ranging consultations with all political parties in Andhra Pradesh to reach a consensus on the issue.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) also 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 damaged 10 buses and 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.
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.
