Even as Andhra Pradesh High Court on Friday granted its nod to AP Non Gazetted Officers’ Association’s meeting against the proposed bifurcation of the State, tension developing between the supporters and opponents of Telangana spilled on to the streets.
In an ugly incident on the premises of Andhra Pradesh High Court, the lawyers from Seemandhra regions clashed with their counterparts from Telangana. The incident occurred when Seemandhra lawyers formed a human chain in support of the meeting on Saturday. Telangana lawyers who are opposing the Saturday meeting tried to disrupt the human chain and stop the other group.
Slogans and counter slogans by both the sides added to the tension. The police had to intervene to bring the situation under control and disperse the warring groups. The police took 20 Seemandhra lawyers including former Advocate General CV Mohan Reddy and shifted them to the local police station. later the Hyderabad Police Commissioner Anurag Sharma met Chief Justice Kalyan Jyothi Sen Gupta and submitted a report about the incident and the measures taken by the police. Both the groups of lawyers also submitted their representations blaming each other for the ugly incident.
The scuffle is being seen as a symptom of the boiling anger under the surface. Trouble was brewing as the Telangana Joint Action Committee has called for a general strike in Hyderabad on Saturday in protest against the anti-Telangana meeting at lal Bahadur Stadium. The strike has the support of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), Osmania University Students’ Joint Action Committee and various other groups.
While all the educational institutions have already declared holiday on Saturday, RTC employees have also announced their support for the strike. This will paralyse the bus service in Telangana region. RTC buses are already off the roads in Seemandhra regions since August 12. Telangana supporters tried to get the police permission to APNGOs cancelled. But their petition was rejected by the AP High Court. The court, however, made it clear that nobody except the Government employees will be allowed inside the venue. The court directed the police to take all the necessary measures to ensure peace. It also warned that APNGOs will be responsible for any untoward incident. Deputy Commissioner of Police, Kamalahasan Reddy visited the lB Stadium to review the security arrangements.