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Sakala Janula Samme: Hyderabad Bandh Peaceful

The Hyderabad Bandh call given by Telangana political Joint Action Committee (JAC) on day 18 of the ongoing Sakala Janula Samme went on peacefully. There was lukewarm response to the bandh, particularly in areas dominated by Congress and MIM, while it was total in areas where BJP and TRS have a strong presence. Though shops, business establishments, theatres and petrol bunks remained shut in most parts of the city during the first few hours, near normalcy was restored by 4pm. Normal attendance was reported in all private companies as well as in IT firms at Gachibowli and Madhapur. None of the city schools, barring a few, functioned as they are closed for Dasara vacation. There were no signs of bandh in the vicinity of either sides of Musi river. It was another normal day for hotels and small establishments of Old City. Traders said since most of the people were busy with Dasara festivities, there was not much pressure either from the political parties or Telangana activists to enforce the bandh. Brisk business was witnessed in areas around Charminar and Secunderabad as shoppers made the most of the bandh call. Most of the government offices remained shut for the day with employees continuing to stay away from work. The staff strength at secretariat dropped significantly due to lack of public transportation. Nearly 95% of the RTC fleet was confined to their respective depots for the 12th consecutive day. Private carriers, including jeeps and autos fleeced people, while the RTC management ran skeletal services on all major roads with police escort. However, the entire Telangana region remained shut for the 18th day in a row as part of the sakala janula samme.  

Azad Meets Sonia Over Telangana Issue

As the people's general strike or sakala janula samme in Telangana reached day 18 today - 30 September 2011 - the AICC general secretary and state party affairs in-charge Gulam Nabi Azad met the UPA chairperson Mrs. Sonia Gandhi with his report on Telangana issue. Mr. Azad, after having number of discussions with Telangana and Seemandhra Congressmen, has prepared a report that was due for submission to the party president Sonia by end of this month. The Congress core committee will meet at 6 PM today and discuss on the report Azad has submitted. Basing on the outcome of the meeting, an all party meet would be called for to take a final decision on the issue. Replying to a question, when would an all party meeting would be held, Home Minister P Chidambaram said that four political parties in Andhra Pradesh have so far not taken decision on bifurcation issue and Congress is one of them. "TDP and MIM are waiting to see what Congress party's decision will be. The other party the YSR Congress has not indicated its mind either. I think one important stage of the consolation appears to be over today that the report has been submitted. I hope that the parties will make up their mind quickly as I appealed in Parliament to enable me to call an all party meeting," he said.      

KCR, Other Leaders Leaving For Delhi Today

On the day 18 of the Sakala Janula Samme today - 30 September 2011, the TJAC called Hyderabad Bandh is continuing peacefully with no ontoward incidents reported so far. The bandh, though partially affected normal life in the city, has been considered a successful one. As announced earlier, TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, TJAC convenor M Kodandaram, Employees JAC convenor Swamy Goud amd other employees' leaders are going to Delhi this evening. The group of leaders intend to meet the President Smt. Pratibha Patil, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other concerned central leaders to appraise them of the actual situation going on in Telangana. Speaking to media at Telangana Bhavan, TRS MLA and KCR son Mr. KT Ramarao said that the chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy is not sending the correct reports to Center about the 18 day old Sakala Janula Samme. Even the state Intelligence Reports are also not giving the picture to their counterparts in Delhi. That's why this group of leaders are going to Delhi to personally present the actual feelings of the people of Telangana.      

Sakala Janula Samme: Day 18 - Hyderabad Bandh

This is the first since Sakala Janula Samme, started on 13 September, that the TJAC has called a shutdown only in Hyderabad. As the strike by various sections of people has already affected normal life in nine other districts, the JAC is focusing on Hyderabad, where a large number of people from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions live. Shops, business establishments and petrol bunks were closed in some parts of the city but remained open in others. Majority of the educational institutions declared a holiday as a precautionary measure. While buses of state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) remained off the roads for the 12th consecutive day, many auto-rickshaws were plying in areas like Nampally, Abids and Secunderabad. Policemen and Rapid Action Force (RAF) personnel escorted the buses carrying employees from andhra and rayalaseema regions to the state secretariat. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao has appealed to the people to make the shutdown a success. Confident that the separate state would soon become a reality, he assured people that there would be no shutdowns in the near future.          

Azad Report on Telangana: It's Advantage TRS!

As the Sakala Janula Samme enters day 18 today and public life in Telangana region comes to a standstill with APSRTC, Singareni Colleries and all most all employees' associations continuing in strike, now all eyes are on the report prepared by the Andhra Pradesh party affairs in-charge Ghulam Nabi Azad on the separate state issue. Azad has been holding discussions with various stakeholders from the state on the issue for the last two months. He is now conducting final round of discussion with APCC chief Botsa  Satyanarayana and chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. "I am ready with my report. I promised that the report would be given to the party president (Sonia Gandhi) by the end of this month. Once the report is submitted we will see if we need a larger debate on the issue at the national level," Azad said on late Wednesday. While Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) is quite confident that Azad's report would be in favour of a separate state, it is Congress leaders from Telangana who are most worried about the report. If Azad's report goes in favour of separate Telangana, TRS will claim the entire credit. If it goes against, TRS will certainly put the entire blame on the Congress and it would be very difficult for Congress to face the electorate in 2014. That's the reason KCR is getting boldened day by day and threatening to continue the stir till separate state is achieved.  

KCR Offers to Share Hyderabad With Seemandhra

Speaking at Telangana Bhavan on Thursday - 29 September 2011, the day 17 of the ongoing 'Sakala Janula Samme', Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhar Rao said that Telangana state without Hyderabad as its capital is unacceptable, but other proposed states if any, can use it as joint capital till they make their own arrangements. K. Chandrasekhara Rao warned the central government against creating any controversy over the status of Hyderabad city, saying Telangana without Hyderabad would be like a headless body. He said "If any problems are created over Hyderabad, Telangana will boil." He added that no proposal except Telangana state with Hyderabad as its capital was acceptable to them. KCR mooted the idea that rulers of Seemandhra (the other proposed state comprising Rayalaseema and Andhra regions) function from Hyderabad for few years. "They can have a secretariat here. We have two halls in the assembly. They can use one of them and function from for three, four or five years till they develop their own capital," he said. KCR was confident that separate Telangana state would soon become a reality. He said with the movement intensifying due to ongoing "Sakala Janula Samme", the central government had no alternative but to deliver Telangana.

Sakala Janula Samme: 29 September - No Newspapers

As the Sakala Janula Samme enters day 17 today, 29 September 2011, the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad went without newspapers as hawkers joined the ongoing general strike for a separate Telangana state. No newspapers could reach the readers as the hawkers stayed away from distribution of papers. English, Telugu, Urdu and Hindi newspapers were missing from bookshops and newspaper stands across the state capital. Tension prevailed at Secunderabad Clock Tower as police stopped newspaper hawkers from taking out a bike rally to Telangana martyrs' memorial near the state assembly building. Police also arrested Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) convenor M Kodandaram who reached Secunderabad Clock Tower to express solidarity with the hawkers. Police also took into custody some protestors who tried to resist their leader's arrest. "This is unjust. You are creating unnecessary problems. Allow me to address them and we will disperse," Kodandaram told police officers. However, police officers said prohibitory orders were in force. They forcibly shifted Kodandaram to a police vehicle and took him to Bowenpally police station. A large number of Telangana supporters rushed to the station and demanded his release. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief K Chandrasekhara Rao condemned the JAC chief's arrest and demanded his immediate release. Rao warned the government against provoking Telangana people and said it would be responsible for any consequences.      

Sakala Janula Samme: Day 16 - 28 September 2011 - Updates

On day 16 of the ongoing Sakala Janula Samme, TRS and TJAC leaders created some emotionally charged scenes like they did yesterday. They started squarely blamed that the Kiran Kumar government is hatching conspiracy to crush the peaceful Telangana agitation. The agitators led TRS MLA Harish Rao staged 'rasta roko' at Hitech city causing hours of traffic chaos. He alleged that the Kiran Kumar government is conspiring to kill Telangana leaders. As part of its evil designs, an attempt was made on T employees leader Swamy Goud yesterday. The police tried to kill him by pressing his testcles. Later in the day, TJAC convenor flagged off  'Sangheebhavam Yatra' taken up private schools management associations in the city to express solidarity with the agitating Singareni employees.              

Telangana Students Announce 'Andhra go Back' Campaign

The Telangana Vidyarthi Aikya Vedika, a joint action committee for Telangana statehood, announced that people from Andhra region who have settled in Hyderabad will be targeted starting from 6 October. Chanting 'Go Back Andhra" slogans, Osmania University students demanded that the settlers from Andhra region should leave Hyderabad. In support of Telangana Political JAC's call for bandh on September 30, students asked wine shop owners in the city to close down bars and liquor shops indefinitely and warned of dire consequences if they failed to do so. The student leaders said that the Telangana region and Hyderabad would come to a standstill if the Centre continued to remain silent on the statehood issue. Other student associations, including OUJAC and OU-Telangana Students' JAC, also extended their support to the Telangana bandh. In view of the proposed bandh, scores of police personnel have already been stationed around the university campus. Meanwhile, other university student associations in the city, including English and Foreign Languages University (Eflu) and University of Hyderabad (UoH) also announced their agitation plans on Tuesday. While Eflu students declared a two-day campus bandh on Tuesday and Wednesday, UoH announced a Telangana Vidyarthi Garjana on October 29.  

Sakala Janula Samme: Day 16 - 28 September, 2011

The ongoing Sakala Janula Samme that has reached day 16, today, is getting more intensified with dharnas and road blocks all over the Telangana region. Telangana leaders are angry with the chief minister and some Central leaders for commenting that the Telangana agitation lacks intensity. The TJAC is trying to quell these comments by adopting different ways of protests to bring the government to a standstill. Speaking to the media, TJAC convenor M Kodandaram gave a call to the agitators to conduct road blocks and dharnas throughout the region, wherever it is convenient for them.      

Sakala Janula Samme: Day 15 Turns Violent - Updates

The Sakala Janula Samme on its day 15, on Tuesday 27 September 2011, took a turn to mild violence when Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal visited RTA office in Hyderabad to meet seemandhra employees working in that office. The news spread immediately to TRS leaders, wherein they came and started protesting against Lagadapati's visit. To avert a major clash, police arrested the Vijayawada MP and also arrested Madhu Yaskhi, Harish Rao, and Telangana employees leader Swami Goud. Harish Rao and other TRS leaders were again arrested by police at the Mint Compound when they went there to show solidarity with Telangana employees. Police baton-charged the protestors. Meanwhile, the 'Sakala Janula Samme' for a separate Telangana state continued for the 15th day Monday. The buses of state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) remained off the roads in Hyderabad and nine other districts of the region for the eighth day. The educational institutions in the region have now remained closed for over two weeks. The strike by government employees has paralysed the administration. It has also affected coal production in state-owned mines and the electricity generation in thermal power stations.                

Sakala Janula Samme Turns Violent With Lagadapati Entry

The Sakala Janula Samme on its day 15, on Tuesday 27 September 2011, took a turn to mild violence when Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal visited RTA office in Hyderabad to meet seemandhra employees working in that office. The news spread immediately to TRS leaders, wherein they came and started protesting against Lagadapati's visit. On Monday, the T-activists barged in to RTA office in Khairtabad and even slapped the assistant commissioner for serving notices on those who have been boycotting their duties as part of the all people’s strike. They forced him to withdraw the notices served on them but the chief minister Kirankumar Reddy later nullified the withdrawal. Today, Lagadapati Rajagopal visited the staff and was inquiring about their welfare when the TRS and T congress leaders swooped on the RTA office to have a confrontation with him. The police present there immediately arrested Rajagopal and took him to the Jubilee Hills police station as a precautionary measure. Congress and TRS leaders Mr Madhu Yashki Goud, Harish Rao, Koppula Eswar, Vishnu vardhan reddy, Swami Goud and Srinivas Goud tried to trespass into the RTA office but they were prevented by the police. Madhu Yaskhi and others were also arrested by the police. Meanwhile, congressmen at Vijayawada took out a rally condemning arrest of MP Lagadapati Rajagopal and also called for Vijayawada bandh tomorrow.                            

Sakala Janula Samme: Telangana TDP MLAs Ready to Resign

Speaking at a press meet, the Telangana TDP Forum leader Erraballi Dayakar Rao said that all the TDP MLAs from Telangana region are ready to submit resignations once again in support of a separate Telangana state. But the TRS party is joining hands with T Congress MLAs who are not ready to resign. Mr. Dayakar Rao put a condition for their resignation that leaders of all parties in Telangana should take a vow that they will not participate in any election till separate Telangana is achieved. He also appealed to the Telangana employees to boycott the coming Banswada bypolls.    

Sakala Janula Samme: T Congress MPs Criticize CM

On Monday, the day 14 of Sakala Janula Samme, while addressing the media, Telangana Congress MPs Madhu Yashki Goud, Ponnam Prabhakar and Rajaiah criticized the chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy. They said, "We pity the CM for his working style. He is sending false reports to the Centre on the strike but our patience is coming to an end." They alleged that the government has been trying to provoke the employees and turn the agitation into a violent one so that it can find an alibi to suppress the strike. "All the way, we have been supporting the state government while putting pressure on the Centre for attaining the separate state but we are fast losing our patience. We don't hesitate to topple the government if it comes to that stage," they warned.      

Sakala Janula Samme: TJAC Future Program

The Telangana Political Joint Action Committee (TJAC), which is spearheading the Sakala Janula Samme, on Monday announced another round of agitation programmes including a shut-down in Hyderabad, a fresh rail blockade, and "laying siege" to the houses of Congress public representatives. JAC convener M Kodandaram told that pro-Telangana employees of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) had planned to organise rallies tomorrow. He also called for road blockades in Hyderabad on September 28. Alleging that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy had ordered power cuts in Telangana as a part of "a conspiracy", he asked Telangana supporters to "lay siege" to the houses of public representatives, to increase the pressure on the government. He also called for 'Hyderabad bandh' on September 30, and torch-demonstrations on October 1. The 'Bathukamma' festivities which would start in Telangana from Wednesday would be used to campaign for the separate state, he said. The JAC had decided to undertake 'rail roko' on October 9, 10 and 11. The private bus services run by non-Telangana persons should stop plying between various parts of Andhra Pradesh and the state capital, he said. "If they don't stop the buses, we will not be responsible for the consequences," he said.    

Sakala Janula Samme: Gaining All Over Support

As the ongoing Sakala Janula Samme entered day 14 on Monday, wide support is seen pouring in from all sections of the society all over the region. In Warangal, Rajaka Sangham T-activists washed clothes on highway in protest against minister Saraiah, who belongs to the same community, for not resigning and joining the sakala janula samme. Similar protests were also witnessed from various sanghams and general public from Karimnagar, Adilabad, Nizamabad and other Telangana districts.        

Sakala Janula Samme: Cong Minister, MPs Join T Forces

As the ongoing Sakala Janula Samme entered day 14 on Monday, fresh political alignments have been witnessed among the T-protagonists. State infrastrucure minister Komatireddy Venkat Reddy joined TRS and TJAC leaders for a dharna outside Vidyut Soudha demanding immediate withdrawal of the one-hour power cut imposed on 45 lakh farmers. The minister earlier extended solidarity to striking employees at the secretariat and was also a witness to the assault of an RTA official. However, the police arrested the minister and other TRS, TJAC leaders for staging dharna outside Vidyut Soudha.      

Sakala Janula Samme: Activists Manhandle RTA Official

On day 14 of Sakala Janula Samme today 26 September 2011, Telangana activists attacked an official of the transport department for issuing show-cause notices to striking employees. Tension prevailed at the transport commissioner's office as a minister and leaders of the TRS and other pro-Telangana groups refused to leave the premises till the notices were withdrawn. During the heated argument between the assistant transport commissioner and the leaders, some protestors pulled him by holding his shirt and manhandled him. The leaders forced the official to sign an order, withdrawing the show cause notices.    

Sakala Janula Samme: Day 14 - 26 Sept Updates

The Sakala Janula Samme or the general strike demanding separate Telangana state has entered day 14 today on 26 September 2011. Though it has been two weeks since the agitation has started, The intensity and fervour of the protesters were found intact. In a novel protest, the striking employees at the secretariat sang traditional Telangana folk songs and danced. A group of women employees in front of 'C' block, which houses the chief minister's office, did the 'Bathukamma' or the dance performed to mark the spring festival in the region. State minister for infrastructure K. Venkata Reddy, Congress MPs Madhu Yaskhi, S. Rajaiah and Ponnam Prabhakar, Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) legislators K. Tarakarama Rao and E. Rajender reached there to express their solidarity with the striking employees. They warned the government and demanded that no action be taken against the employees, whose indefinite strike entered its 14th day Monday.