Tension builds up over APNGOs meet

• Telangana bandh tomorrow, supported by TJAC, OUJAC and MRPS
• TJAC calls off peace rally
• OUJAC to block all rail and road routes

Kodandaram calls it a conspiracy hatched by CM, wants to show T strength in a peaceful manner

Manda Krishna Madiga vows to disrupt rally, calls for different forms of protest across the city

Hyderabad: There is palpable tension across Hyderabad as the opponents of Telangana state are going ahead with their plans for holding a “Save Andhra Pradesh” meet at L B Stadium on Saturday even as T protagonists and organizations like the TJAC and Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti have given a call for bandh from midnight of Friday. TJAC, however, announced withdrawal of the proposed peace rally.

The Osmania University JAC gave a separate call for bandh in Hyderabad and Ranga Reddy districts on Saturday. Students’ bodies decided to block all rail and road routes connecting the state capital like Manukota, Alampur and Kodada in an effort to prevent APNGOs from reaching Hyderabad. Leaders of students’ organisations said that they would disrupt the meeting at any cost. Manda Krishna Madiga urged Telangana followers and activist to stage different forms of protests across the city on Saturday.

Terming the APNGOs meeting as “anti-constitutional” and as “a conspiracy hatched by Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to stall the process of carving separate Telangana”, TJAC chairman Prof Kodandaram said that the state administration went out of the way in according permission for the Samaikyandhra meeting, while at the same time rejecting the request of T JAC.

Urging the people of Telangana to remain peaceful, he alleged that Kiran wanted peace and harmony among the people in Hyderabad to be disturbed so that the happenings could be used as an instrument to derail the process of creating Telangana. Kodandaram found fault with the government, police and stadium authorities for violating the rules relating to the grant of permission for meetings.

Meanwhile, TJAC co-chairman Mallepalli Lakshmaiah called upon political parties to support the bandh. He appealed to business houses, private establishments and educational institutions to extend co-operation. He said the people of Telangana should show their strength in a peaceful manner.

T Employees JAC chairman G Deviprasad appealed to the Seemandhra employees to ventilate their reservations and apprehensions, instead of coming in the way of the formation of Telangana. He said that the police had unilaterally rejected applications relating to MRPS’ meeting and employees’ plans for holding sports meet at the same venue.

This being so, the APNGOs president Ashok Babu said that though they had agreed to the conditions laid down by the police, they were not getting proper cooperation from the stadium authorities. He said the authorities had refused to hand over the stadium in advance. He called upon the people of Seemandhra to play the role of hosts to those who come from other districts.

Ashok Babu said that though they had no objection to participation of politicians in the programme; given the police pre-conditions, none may come. If the meeting was hindered in any form, it would be detrimental to the interests of Telangana, he reasoned.

KCR asks partymen to remain calm

Hyderabad: TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao asked the party rank and file to remain calm and show restraint. “Don’t confront anyone directly or do anything that would lead to any law and order problem,” he told his party leaders. Rao said while TRS extended support to the bandh call it would not play any major role in it.