Telangana Opposition bandh begins

Hyderabad: The Telangana State bandh call given by Opposition parties demanding one-time settlement of farm loan waiver commenced on Saturday morning amid arrests of almost all the top leaders of the Congress, Telangana TDP, BJP and Left parties while staging protest demonstrations opposite the TSRTC bus stations and depots in the City.

For the first time, all the major political parties Congress, TDP, BJP, Left parties and YSR Congress Party joined hands to enforce the bandh in support of the farmers' cause.

As early as 5 a.m., Opposition leaders hit the roads with Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee president N. Uttam Kumar Reddy, Greater Hyderabad Congress Committee chief Danam Nagender, former PCC chief Ponnala Lakshmaiah and CPI leader K. Narayana reaching MGBS bus station to stage a dharna but were arrested by the police personnel deployed there. They were whisked away to Nampally police station.

Similarly, TPCC working president Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and other Congress leaders and BJP MLA K. Laxman were arrested outside Ranigunj bus station. At Jubilee Bus Station, TTDP leader Errabelli Dayakar Rao, TTDP working president A. Revanth Reddy, BJP MLA Chintala Ramachandra Reddy and others were taken into custody and taken to Bollarum police station.

In Dilsukhnagar, BJP national secretary was arrested while Leader of Opposition in Council Md. Ali Shabbir too was



whisked away from Mehdipatnam bus station.

Bandh evoked partial response in the City with the TSRTC buses running normally while the situation was different in the districts, where the state-run transport buses were off the roads. Leaders of the Opposition parties laid siege to the bus depots forcing the authorities to cancel the services. Reports said that at least three buses were damaged in Musheerabad and Abids. No arrests were made so far.

In Sangareddy, leaders of Opposition parties squatted in front of the bus depots and prevented buses from coming out. Elaborate security arrangements were made to prevent untoward incidents.

In Adilabad, the effect of the Opposition-called bandh was partial in the district as the RTC ran its services in most parts of the district except those buses running from Mancheriyal Bhainsa depot. At Bhainsa, cadres of the Congress, TDP and BJP prevented the buses from coming out of the depot as they squatted in front of its gates.

Bandh was being enforced peacefully in Karimnagar with large participation of the Congress, TDP, Left parties, BJP and the YSRCP leaders. Former Minister D. Sridhar Babu, DCC president K. Mruthyunjayam, former MP Ponnam Prabhakar, former whip Arepalli Mohan, former ZP chairperson joined the protest.

In Khammam, the dawn to dusk bandh called by the opposition parties for farmers’ cause began on a peaceful note.