Telangana students for ‘Chalo Hyderabad’ march Jan 3

HYDERABAD - Protests continued in Andhra Pradesh’s Telangana region for the fifth day Sunday demanding that the central government immediately initiate the process for separate statehood to Telangana while students of Osmania University here called for a ‘Chalo Hyderabad’ march Jan 3.

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Osmania University students Sunday set an ultimatum for the government to make an announcement on initiating the process by Jan 2. It called for ‘Chalo Hyderabad’ where students from other parts of the region will march to Hyderabad.

The JAC leaders told reporters that a massive meeting titled ‘vidyarthi grajna’ or ’students roar’ would be held Jan 3 at Osmania University, the nerve centre of the Telangana agitation. They said a rally would also be taken out after the meeting.

The meeting and rally could be crucial as a similar call for a march to the assembly Dec 10 coupled with a ‘fast unto death’ by Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao forced the central government to announce that the process for formation of Telangana state would be initiated.

After the protests and mass resignations of legislators from coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, the government made a second statement Dec 23 underlining the need for consultations on the issue.

As the latest statement is seen as u-turn by the central government, the agitation resumed in Telangana, which comprises 10 districts including Hyderabad.

Meanwhile, Congress leader and former union minister G. Venkatswamy visited the Osmania University campus to express solidarity with students who are on an indefinite hunger strike.

He said the Congress alone was capable of delivering a Telangana state.

The hunger strike by the university students entered the fourth day Sunday. Tension prevailed at the campus late Saturday as police shifted a student to hospital after his condition deteriorated.

Some students tried to resist the police.

Rallies, demonstrations and road blockades with sporadic incidents of violence continued in the region as the all-party Joint Action Committee (JAC) held a key meeting here to decide the future course of action.

The JAC will consider a proposal by TRS to call an indefinite shutdown from Tuesday if the government failed to announce that it was initiating the process for formation of Telangana by Monday.