Date:25/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/25/stories/2006082523310100.htm

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Parts of Telangana feel the heat of KCR's fast

Special Correspondent

Spurt in protests in constituencies represented by TRS MLAs

VENTING THEIR IRE: TRS workers stopping AP Express at Kazipet station on Thursday as part of their rail roko agitation. - PHOTO: M. MURALI

HYDERABAD: Parts of Telangana region felt the heat generated by the fast launched by Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) president K. Chandrasekhara Rao that entered the second day on Thursday.

While there were demonstrations in some districts, unidentified miscreants attempted to set on fire an APSRTC bus in the city. Passengers and RTC staff escaped unhurt in the incident.

Bus set on fire

In another incident at Siddipet in Medak district, a group of miscreants, suspected TRS activists, set on fire a bus of a private educational institution, owned by persons from Coastal Andhra.

There was a spurt in protests in all the Assembly constituencies represented by TRS legislators. Sensing the mood of activists, security near the residences of TRS dissident MLAs had been beefed up in Medak and Warangal districts. The house of dissident MLA Dugyala Srinivasa Rao was ransacked here on Wednesday.

Students boycott classes

In Warangal, students of Kakatiya University boycotted the classes for the second successive day while several employees abstained from duties. They squatted on the track at Kazipet station.

The Telangana Vidyavanthula Aikya Vedika and the Association of Kakatiya University Teachers, who participated in the protest, gave a call for bandh of all educational institutions on Friday. Similar protests were reported from different mandals of the district.

Vehicular traffic near Jadcherla on the Hyderabad-Mahabubnagar National Highway came to a standstill for over an hour in the afternoon following a rasta roko staged by TRS activists. The agitators who came in procession from Badepalli to Jadcherla crossroads raising slogans against UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy squatted on the busy highway blocking the traffic movement.

They later dispersed from the scene after burning an effigy of Ms. Gandhi.