Telangana activists' attempt to enter secretariat foiled

About 50 activists of the Progressive Democratic Students Union (PDSU) were arrested when they tried to barge into the high-security area.

Raising slogans of “Jai Telangana”, the protesters gathered outside the secretariat in violation of the prohibitory orders and squatted at its main gate.
The protesters then tried to barge into the secretariat and police had a tough time in controlling them. The activists were baton-charged and taken into custody.

‘Immediate action’
Earlier, Progressive Democratic Students Union president Ashok Kumar told reporters that the Central Government should immediately initiate the process for carving out Telangana state. He alleged that the government was adopting delaying  tactics on the issue.

Meanwhile, the Andhra Pradesh Police assured on Saturday that they would provide necessary security to enable the IPL to hold the inaugural event as also the other matches in the state, after the opening ceremony and first match of the IPL’s third edition was shifted from here to Mumbai.

“We are providing security for remaining matches to be played in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam and on similar lines proper security will be provided to players and the public for the opening match and the inaugural event also,” Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police R R Girish Kumar said.

“We would love to have the inaugural ceremony and the first match in Hyderabad,” the Director General of Police stressed.

Owing to the prevailing circumstances over the Telangana issue in Andhra Pradesh, IPL Chairman and Commissioner Lalit Modi had on Friday announced shifting of the inaugural ceremony and the opening fixture scheduled to be played between Deccan Chargers and Kolkata Knight Riders from Hyderabad to Mumbai.
The IPL opener is scheduled for March 12.

IPL’s decision
Seven matches out of the 60-match IPL season III were earlier scheduled to be played in Andhra Pradesh but in the backdrop of the IPL’s decision, Hyderabad will now host four IPL matches and Visakhapatnam two.

About 100 pro-Telangana activists had invaded the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium at Uppal here on Thursday and forced abandonment of a match that was played between Hyderabad XI and Andhra XI in the inaugural Deccan Twenty-20 Cup cricket tournament.