JOIN US13 Telangana ministers quit
The region was rocked by angry protests and violence as supporters for statehood for the region took to streets.
Responding to the 48-hour bandh called by the TRS, the region shut down with shops, businesses, cinema theatres, petrol bunks and the local kirana stores downing their shutters.
Thirteen ministers of the Rosaiah Cabinet from the region have also decided in principle to resign en masse on Friday. The developments prompted speculation that the state would be brought under President’s rule to allow the cooling down of emotions.
The first to quit the Cabinet was Information Technology Minister K Venkat Reddy who sent in his resignation after an angry mob stormed his house demanding his resignation.
In Delhi, 11 MPs of the Congress from the Telangana region submitted their resignations to Sonia Gandhi protesting the Centre’s buckling to pressure brought about by leaders from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema against the bifurcation of the state.
Leaders, cutting across political affiliations, led by the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) set up a joint action committee (JAC) here on Thursday and took an oath to wage a peaceful struggle till they achieved their goal. Meanwhile, the resignation of MLAs set off speculation that President’s rule would be imposed in the state.
Violence rocks Telangana
The state-owned Road Transport Corporation withdrew its bus services across the region while trains were stopped in several districts with protesters squatting on the tracks. The protesters targeted buses, government offices and businesses of known political opponents of Telangana state.
The police caned violent students at several places in Hyderabad. They also fired teargas shells and fired rubber bullets to quell unruly protesters in Osmania Univesity campus, Nizam College and JN Technology University.
No bundh on Christmas
However, following the announcement by the newly formed Joint Action Committee of all political parties that the bandh for Friday was being called off in view of Christmas celebrations, normalcy was restored in the evening in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad.