Mixed response to T bandh

Adilabad: The one-day Telangana bandh call given by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K Chandrasekhar Rao in protest against the Congress Government's repressive measures against the 'Chalo Assembly' stir, passed off peacefully in Adilabad district on Saturday. The services of Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) were affected and many buses were off the roads as protesters staged dharnas in front of the bus depots across the district. In Adilabad town, the TRS activists led by MLA Jogu Ramanna went to the Adilabad bus depot in the early hours of Saturday and obstructed the buses from coming out of the depot. Upon receiving the information, police arrived at the spot and took about 50 activists, including MLA Jogu Ramanna into custody. The protests were held in Mancherial, Nirmal, Bhainsa, Chennuru, Mandamarri, Luxettipet, Utnoor, Jannaram, Khanapur, Asifabad, Bellampalli, Khagaz Nagar, Boadh, Neredugonda and others mandal headquarters in the district. Meanwhile, the Telangana protagonists damaged window panes of four RTC buses in Nirmal town. Activists of TRS, BJP and CPI organised protests and rasta rokos separately across the district condemning the Congress Government's repressive measures against the Chalo Assembly march. Most of the educational institutes and schools remained closed and shops and business establishments were also shut. Nizamabad: The bandh passed off peacefully in Nizamabad district on Saturday. Even though the Telangana activists staged protests and rasta rokos at various places, the APSRTC operated majority of its services as per schedule. However, the RTC officials suspended 12 Indra buses that are operated between Nizamabad and Hyderabad due to the agitations. While schools and private educational institutes voluntarily declared a holiday, shops and other business establishments remained closed. In Nizamabad town, activists of Progressive Students Union (PDSU) staged a dharna and burnt an effigy of the State Government. Meanwhile, TRS politburo member A S Poshetti and TRS district president Ganga Reddy were arrested by the police. The protests were held in all major towns and mandal headquarters by TRS, BJP and CPI separately. On the other hand, the police tightened the security in the district headquarters and other towns as a precautionary measure. Khammam: The bandh did not affect coal production as coal miners attended their duties as usual across Singareni Collieries in Khammam district on Saturday. Shops, theatres and other business establishments remained closed. While the TRS activists led by district president Dindigala Rajender were taking out a bike rally in Khammam town, police took them into custody and shifted to a nearby police station. TRS, BJP, CPI (ML) New Democracy and PDSU activists organised rallies and rasta rokos separately in protest against the arrest of hundreds of Telangana protagonists during the Chalo Assembly' march. The APSRTC operated its services partially till evening and later, restored all the services. There was heavy police deployment at bus stations and railway stations to check any toward incidents. Karimnagar: The bandh call evoked a mixed response in Karimnagar district on Saturday. The officials of APSRTC operated majority of its services and the normal life was not much affected due to bandh. While schools and other educational institutes declared a holiday, shops, theatres and other business establishments remained closed. The protests were held by TRS, BJP and CPI separately in Huzurabad, Peddapalli, Vemulavada, Godavari Khani and Jammikunta towns and other mandal headquarters. The coal miners in Singareni Collieries attended their duties as usual and the bandh did not affect the coal production. As majority of the Telangana protagonists went to Hyderabad to take part in 'Chalo Assembly' march and remaining were arrested by police in the name of bind over cases, majority people could not take part in the protests resulting in mixed response to the Telangana bandh on Saturday. Warangal: Telangana Rashtra Samithi sponsored bandh has passed off peacefully in the district on Saturday. The bandh has evoked mixed response from the public. Massive protest rallies, demonstrations and burning of effigies of the State government and Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy marked the bandh. The TRS MLA D Vinay Bhasker has led a bike rally through the thoroughfares in the town. The police have arrested the TRS district president T Ravinder Rao, the party leaders P Sudarshan Reddy, Telangana JAC district chairman Prof. T Papi Reddy and its State steering committee member Prof. A Seetaram Naik for trying to burn an effigy of the CM at Hanammkonda bus stand early in the morning. Protesting against the arrests, the TRS and other Telangana activists have laid siege to Hanamkonda police station that led to mild tension for some time. The party workers later burnt the effigy of the CM at the Chowrastha. During the day private and government educational institutions were closed as they declared holiday for the children in view of the bandh. Business establishments after being closed for half a day resumed functioning after the afternoon hours. The APSRTC officials had suspended some of its rural operations while some services were operated. Though sulking at the one-sided decision by TRS in calling the bandh, the leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party and Communist Party of India took out separate rallies in Kazipet and Hanamkonda towns and burnt effigies of the CM. The BJP leaders M Dharma Rao, Dr. P Vijaychander Reddy, Dr. Vijayalakshmi and A Ashok Reddy, CPI leaders Pothuraju Saraiah, Mekal Ravi and Swamy Charan, Mahila Samakhay leader M Sadalakshmi were among those who took part in the rallies.