TDP MLAs should quit posts to mount pressure on Cong: TRS

Attacking the legislators of ruling Congress and main opposition TDP from Telangana region for not quitting their posts as decided by the all-party Joint Action Committee (JAC), the TRS on Tuesday said their “true colours” have come out in the open now.

“We (TRS legislators) did not care for positions. We resigned in deference to the wishes of people. We are being congratulated and praised now. But the Congress and TDP (legislators) are not resigning. Telangana people now understand the truth,” TRS leader E. Rajender, who was party’s floor leader in the Assembly, told reporters.

Criticising Congress and TDP for allegedly blaming each other on the issue, former TRS legislator T. Harish Rao said the TDP legislators should quit their posts first to mount pressure on Congress leaders. “Congress and TDP should keep aside their differences. TDP leaders should resign, then we can make the Congress leaders bend,” he said.

Rejecting the terms of reference of Sri Krishna committee appointed by the Centre to go into the issue of division of Andhra Pradesh, the all-party JAC had asked the legislators from all parties to quit their posts to mount pressure on the Centre for taking immediate steps for Telangana’s formation.

Accordingly, 15 MLAs — 10 from TRS, two from Congress, one each from TDP, BJP and Praja Rajyam — submitted their resignations to the Speaker, who accepted the resignations of 10 TRS and one TDP MLA. The TDP, however, asked the Congress legislators to quit first to put pressure on the Centre.

20 injured in violence on Osmania University campus

Violence over the Telangana issue rocked Osmania University Sunday night and 20 students were injured when police fired rubber bullets and used batons to disperse them.

Six mediapersons also sustained injuries and their cameras and other equipments were damaged in the police action on the campus, eye-witnesses said.

The trouble began when students took out a rally hailing the resignations of 15 legislators and demanding that others quit too. As the protestors tried to march towards Tarnaka area, police and paramilitary forces stopped them, leading to heated arguments.

A police officer claimed that students started pelting stones, forcing them to baton-charge. Eye-witnessed said police personnel beat up several students and mediapersons, who sustained bleeding injuries.

Tension gripped the sprawling campus, the nerve centre of ongoing agitation over the demand for statehood to Telangana as police action evoked widespread condemnation by students organisations and pro-Telangana parties.

The All-party Joint Action Committee (JAC) has condemned the police action on the campus.

The university has been witnessing clashes between students and police since the agitation began in November last year.

Explosive situation at Osmania University

An explosive situation prevailed in Osmania University here Sunday night as violence over Telangana issue, police firing and arson rocked the campus.

Police and paramilitary forces laid siege to the campus as the tension spread to neighbouring residential neighbourhood with residents coming out in support of students.

The sprawling campus plunged into darkness as police cut off electricity and stopped even ambulances from entering the university, eye witnesses said.

Leaders of university students Joint Action Committee (JAC) alleged that police entered hostels and beat up students. The JAC leaders threaten mass suicides if the police and paramilitary forces do not vacate the campus.

Students set afire police tents on the campus and raised slogans of 'police go back'.

Police fired several rounds of rubber bullets and teargas shells at the Arts College. It also baton charged students and beat up journalists covering the students' protests.

Six media persons also sustained injuries and their cameras and other equipment were damaged in the police action on the campus, eye-witnesses said.

A large number of students including girls were still sitting on the campus protesting the police 'brutality'. A JAC leader and a journalist sustained serious injuries in police baton charge.

Media persons alleged that it was well-planned attack on them as the policemen abused them for covering the student protests and did not even spare their vehicles.

The trouble began when students took out a rally hailing the resignations of 15 legislators and demanding others to quit. As the protestors tried to march towards Tarnaka area, police and paramilitary forces stopped them, leading to heated arguments.

A police officer claimed that students started pelting stones forcing them to baton-charge.

Tension gripped the sprawling campus, the nerve centre of ongoing agitation over the demand for statehood to Telangana as police action evoked widespread condemnation by student bodies and pro-Telangana parties.

All-party Joint Action Committee (JAC) has condemned the police action on the campus. Police arrested JAC convenor M. Kodandaram when he wanted to enter the campus to meet students.

The university has been witnessing clashes between students and police since the agitation began in November last year.

Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao appealed to government to withdraw the police forces immediately from the campus.

Students and journalists in several Telangana districts came out on streets condemning police action in Osmania University. They took out rallies and blocked traffic.

Tension prevailed at Kakatiya University campus in Warangal town as police mobilised additional forces to tackle student protests.

Decision on MLAs’ resignation as per Constitution: Speaker

Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker N. Kiran Kumar Reddy said he would take a decision on the resignation of several MLAs in accordance with the Constitutional provisions and rules of the legislature.

“There are three important things to be examined before a resignation is accepted. Primarily the resignation should be in a prescribed format under Rule 186 (1). I have to verify the genuineness of the resignation and ascertain whether or not the resignation has been submitted voluntarily.

“It’s totally the Speaker’s discretion whether or not to accept the resignation,” the Speaker told a meet-the-press programme here.

Reddy made these observations minutes before he received a fresh set of resignation letters from 15 MLAs on the Telangana issue.

Earlier this month, the Speaker had rejected the resignation of 129 MLAs as they were “not in the prescribed format.”