By IANS,
Hyderabad : Normal life came to a grinding halt in Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh as Monday’s day-long shutdown called by Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) to protest the arrest of its chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao evoked total response.
Schools, universities, colleges, shops, business establishments and petrol pumps remained closed in all the 10 districts of the region while state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) suspended all its bus services.
Tension prevailed in parts of Hyderabad and nine other districts as TRS workers took to the streets, enforcing the shutdown and staging protests. They also set afire two buses and a government office.
Chandrasekhara Rao, who was arrested near Karimnagar town Sunday before he could launch his ‘fast unto death’ protest demanding separate state of Telangana, continued his fast in the jail for the second day Monday.
Raising slogans against the government, TRS workers staged road and rail blockades in several parts of the region, affecting the vehicular and train services.
TRS workers also staged road blockade near Khammam sub-jail, where TRS president is lodged.
Thousands of commuters were stranded as RTC suspended bus services in the region as a precautionary measure. TRS workers supported by RTC employees also staged protests at RTC depots in all the districts.
Government employees in the region are attending the office wearing black badges as a mark of protest. They have threatened to launch pen down protest from Tuesday.
Expressing solidarity with TRS chief, employees of state-owned Singareni Colleries also struck work. The party received support from the employees of some other public sector companies as well.
All schools and colleges in Hyderabad remained closed. Osmania University, which witnessed violence Sunday, has announced that all colleges on the campus would remain closed till Dec 3. The university has also postponed examinations to Dec 7.
Police said they arrested over 100 TRS workers in Warangal, Nalgonda, Medak and other places for blocking road and rail traffic and forcing the shopkeepers to down shutters.
TRS leader Harish Rao appealed to the party workers not to resort to violence as this would damage the cause of a separate state.