After suicides, Bandh hits Normal lifes in Telangana

Normal life in Hyderabad and nine other districts of the Telangana region came to a halt as a 48-hour shutdown called by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of students began on Wednesday to protest the delay in the formation of a separate state out of Andhra Pradesh. Since Monday, two students have killed themselves over the issue.

State-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) suspended its bus services while shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed.

All political parties have supported the shutdown. The JAC called for a strike after two students, depressed over the delay in carving out a separate Telangana state, committed suicide.

K. Venugopal Reddy, a final year student of MCA, set himself ablaze at Osmania University here late Monday. Suvarnamma, a first year BSc student in Mahabubnagar district, set herself ablaze late Tuesday.

Tension prevailed at Osmania University campus for the second consecutive day as students continued their protest with the body of Reddy. The JAC leaders, who sat in front of the Arts College building with the body through Tuesday night, said they would not allow it to be moved unless all MPs and state legislators from the region resign in support of the Telangana statehood demand.

In an attempt to shift the body, police brought additional forces to the campus Wednesday morning.

The self-immolations triggered angry protests by students across Telangana. The students’ JAC called for a two-day shutdown Wednesday and Thursday.

The politicians’ JAC, which comprises all parties including the ruling Congress, has supported the shutdown for Wednesday.

The JAC also announced that all elected representatives would submit their resignations from Wednesday and those who have already done so would press for their acceptance.

Five legislators of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) and one of Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) began a sit—in at the house of assembly speaker Kirankumar Reddy Tuesday night, urging him to immediately accept their resignations. The speaker, however, sought two to three days to take a decision.

With the legislators continuing their protest, the police took them into custody. They were later released.

All 39 legislators of main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) have also decided to press the speaker to accept their resignations.

Pressure mounts on Telangana MLAs to quit

The all-party Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) on Tuesday decided to mount pressure on the MLAs from the region to quit their posts in protest against the Centre’s alleged wavering attitude on the separate statehood demand.

Coming under pressure from the students of Osmania University here, the nerve centre of the Telangana agitation, following the alleged suicide by a student in support of the separate state demand, the JAC leaders decided to press for the resignation of the public representatives.

“The people are committing suicide in protest against the government’s wavering attitude as the Centre hesitates to make a categorical statement in support of Telangana. That is how they are expressing their anger,” JAC convenor C Kodandaram told reporters.

“We feel the only way to stop all this is an announcement of a time frame for the formation of Telangana state. In this direction we feel the public representatives should quit their posts to express their protest,” he said.

The JAC would call for a meeting of the public representatives on Wednesday or Thursday to press for their resignation, Mr. Kodandaram said.

The JAC also decided to support the 24-hour Telangana bandh called by the students tomorrow.

Earlier, the charred body of K Venugopal Reddy (23), an MCA final-year student of a private college, was found near Tagore Auditorium in the OU premises.