Protesters demanding Telangana block rail traffic
By IANSMonday, February 28, 2011
HYDERABAD - The rail traffic in Hyderabad and nine other districts of Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh Tuesday came to a grinding halt as protesters demanding separate statehood to the region squatted on the railway tracks at most of the railway stations and in villages.
The protesters of various pro-Telangana groups stopped dozens of trains in and around Hyderabad, Nalgonda, Warangal, Nizamabad, Khammam and other districts even as railway authorities have cancelled 25 express trains causing severe inconvenience to passengers.
The ‘rail blockade’ called by Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC), began at 6 a.m. Tuesday and will continue for 12 hours, to demand the central government to introduce a bill in parliament for formation of separate Telangana state.
Raising slogans of ‘Jai Telangana’ and holding flags and banners, activists of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS), Bharatiya Janata party (BJP) and other constituents of the JAC, squatted on the tracks to stop the trains.
At a few places, police arrested the protesters.
Telangana leaders of Congress, Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Telangana Praja Front of Maoist sympathiser Gaddar and Telangana lawyers’ forum are also supporting the rail blockade.
