PRP workers attack ABN-Andhra Jyothy in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Angry workers of Praja Rajyam Party (PRP)  staged a protest at the office of a private news channel, alleging it was airing news reports against the PRP and its chief Chiranjeevi, a veteran Telegu matinee idol.

Some party workers staged a sit-in in front of the office of ABN Andhra Jyothy. A few glass panes of the office were damaged during a scuffle when few of them tried to barge into the office, police said.

The PRP alleged that the channel was airing stories with an intention to damage the image of Chiranjeevi and the PRP.

Police immediately intervened and took some of the workers into custody.

Massive traffic jams in Hyderabad

A traffic police asks a pedestrian to leave the Lakdi-Ka-Pul Road in Hyderabad on Saturday as the security was tightened to prevent the pro-Telangana students from carrying out their threat of laying siege to the State Assembly

The State capital witnessed an unprecedented traffic grid lock in major parts of the city, especially those on the southern and western parts after the police imposed traffic restrictions on a massive scale to prevent the pro-Telangana students from carrying out their threat of laying siege to the State Assembly on Saturday.

Osmania University campus, the nerve centre of agitation for bifurcation of state remained peaceful, as massive contingents of police kept a close watch on a gathering of about 500 students. By 10.30 p.m. the assemblage of students were moving towards the NCC gate of the University, apparently in a bid to take out a rally to the Assembly.

However, police are determined to take them into custody, if the students try to cross the university gate.

Meanwhile, the Government has assured a delegation of the journalists that cases registered against media personnel in Osmania University police station would be withdrawn. Following this assurance from the Chief Minister, K. Rosaiah, journalists called off their boycott of the Budget session. The State budget will be presented at 12.45 p.m. today.

The never-seen-before traffic diversions, though publicised widely led to chaotic traffic conditions, as fuming motorists argued with policemen. A massive traffic jam was reported from Bazarghat, Vijayanagar colony, Nampally, Mehdipatnam localities situated on Western parts of the city. It is bumper to bumper traffic moving sluggishly in Southern parts of the city.

Though the police had cautioned people not to venture out on Saturday in view of expected traffic jams, many could not understand why roads leading to hospitals were blocked. The road leading to Gandhi Hospital, one of the biggest Government hospices in the State was blocked from Chilkalguda cross cross roads leading to wide spread resentment.

Doctors working in the hospital and patients intending to go to Gandhi Hospital were put to inconvenience and the policemen manning the barricades chose not to listen to the pleas of people going to hospitals. At Chapel Road angry motorists began abusing policemen for not allowing an ambulance carrying a patient to move into barricaded area. As people began gathering, a policeman quickly pulled out the barricade to allow the ambulance to move through.

Reports of siren-wailing Ambulances being caught in traffic jams were received from several areas. At Goshamahal cross roads, a woman doctor working in Osmania General Hospital was seen pleading and arguing with policemen to allow her to reach hospital. The policemen told her sternly that she would not be allowed because of orders from ‘higher ups’. The flustered woman doctor, who refused to be identified, almost broke into tears.

Osmania students clash with police on campus

Osmania University campus turned into a virtual battle field with agitated students clashing with police, who prevented them from taking the body of Venugopal Reddy in a procession to the Gun Park near State Assembly on Wednesday morning.

Coming under intense stone attacks from the students, who scattered all over the sprawling campus, police lobbed nearly two dozen tear gas shells and repeated lathicharges.

Tension was building up right from the morning with the students agitating for a separate Telangana state planning to take the body of Venugopal Reddy in a procession. Reddy had immolated himself near Tagore auditorium on the campus and his charred body was found by morning walkers on Tuesday morning.

Peaceful

Meanwhile, situation is reported to be peaceful in ten Telangana districts barring a few incidents of stone pelting on buses and private establishments. The ten Telangana districts are observing a bandh today in protest against the delay in forming a Telangana State.

“Situation is very volatile. Students are gathering in large numbers. The inmates of different hostels are filing out to join others on roads” one of the lecturers of the university told The Hindu over phone.

Though the State capital is totally shut down in view of the bandh call given by the Telangana JAC after the death of Venugopal Reddy, police apprehend that allowing a large procession of students upto the State Assembly could lead to violence. As the students began their march from the arts college with the body of Reddy kept in an ambulance, police moved in and tried to stop the procession near Ladies’ hostel.

Stones hurled

The infuriated students began hurling stones at the police leading to injuries to several policemen and officers. Two police vehicles were totally damaged by the students. Police tried to chase away the students using force, but the students ran into the open place around Ladies’ hostel and began regrouping minutes later only to intensify the stone-hurling on police.

Even as additional forces were being rushed to campus, police were lobbing tear gas shells but to little effect.

All the entry and exit points of the Osmania University campus have been sealed and police were diverting traffic via other routes.