Tension grips Hyderabad with the ongoing tussle between supporters and opponents of Telangana State threatening to take an ugly turn.
The supporters of T-State have called for a strike in Hyderabad and neighbouring Ranga Reddy district on Saturday coinciding with the public meeting of AP Non-Gazetted officers’ Association against the bifurcation. The strike call also has the support of the Osmania University Students’ Joint Action Committee and the Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti, a Dalit organisation.
The Telangana supporters were infuriated with the Government and the police for permitting the anti-Telangana public meeting in Hyderabad and refusing them the permission for their rallies and meetings on the same day. The Government’s decision has sparked the protests all over Telangana. Government staff in Warangal held a massive protest meeting and warned Government of serious consequences. They alleged that the Govt was exhorting Telangana opponents to carry on with the protests as the CM himself was opposing Telangana State.
“This clearly shows that the present Govt is completely on the side of those opposing Telangana State. It is the Government of Andhra and Rayalaseema region in which Telangana people and their sentiments have no place,” said Telangana Joint Action Committee convener Kodanda Ram. He said despite police refusing permission, the TJAC will organise a peace rally in Hyderabad on Saturday.
TJAC leaders will meet later on Thursday in Hyderabad to chalk out their future course of action. OUJAC said that it would obstruct the Andhra meeting in Hyderabad at any cost.
While the people at large were worried about the potential trouble on Saturday, Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma defended the permission for APNGO’s rally at lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium. “We have taken decision after consideration,” he said. “We have imposed 19 conditions on the meet. Only employees having ID cards will be allowed inside the venue. If there is any trouble or any provocative speech during the meeting, the organisers will be held responsible,” he said.
But the Government employees working in the State Secretariat said that they would attend the meeting along with their family members. “The meeting was aimed at creating awareness about the unity of the State,” said the Secretariat employees who continued their protest demonstrations.
The situation in Hyderabad was heating up at a time when the protests in Seemandhra region were continuing for the last 36 days. Processions and public meetings were being held and Government employees in the two regions were on indefinite strike.
Security arrangements were being tightened in the city in view of the rising tension. Additional police as well as paramilitary forces were being deployed specially at lal Bahadur Shastri Stadium and colonies dominated by people form Andhra such as lB Nagar, Dilsukhnagar, Kukatpally, SR Nagar.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy returned to the city after spending the two days in national capital to urge the Congress Central leadership to delay the process of bifurcation. He met many top Congress leaders as well as the Congress committee headed by AK Antony. But Congress general secretary Digvijay Singh made it clear that the decision to form Telangana State was irreversible.
The Chief Minister was confined to his camp office on Thursday and met some Ministers from Andhra including Mahidar Reddy, Viswaroop, Manikya Varaprasad and MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao. Andhra leaders including MPs were exerting pressure on the Central Government to at least make Hyderabad a Union Territory so that the interest of Seemandhra people in Hyderabad was protected after the bifurcation.
To counter the lobbying by Andhra leaders, some Ministers from the Telangana region were also camping in New Delhi. Senior Minister K Jana Reddy warned that any attempt to make Hyderabad a Union Territory will open the door for yet another agitation. “Today there is a complete harmony in Telangana and it is the responsibility of the Government to maintain this situation,” he said.
Former Minister Mohammed Ali Shabbir made it clear that Muslims also want Telangana State. He rejected the claim of Andhra leaders that Hyderabad was developed because of them. “Hyderabad was developed over the last 400 years and not because of any one group,” he said.