Hyderabad: With teachers joining the stir,
Telangana supporters on Friday intensified the strike launched by
them in support of the separate statehood demand.
"This moment will be mentioned in golden letters. If
teachers have joined the agitation, it means the people in
villages have also joined. We appeal to the Centre to accede
to the demand and announce a time frame for formation of
separate Telangana. The government should stop repressive
measures," Telangana Political Joint Action Committee (JAC)
Convener, M Kodandaram told reporters here.
As part of the 'sakala janula samme' (strike by all
sections of people) that began on September 13, Andhra Pradesh
government employees in Telangana, students and lawyers
amongst others, held rallies, sit-ins and other forms of
protest across the region.
The government employees have been actively taking part in
the agitation at several places in the region.
K Swamy Goud, a leader of Telangana Non-Gazetted Officers
(TNGO) association, was taken into preventive custody here and
later released, police said.
Police has the power to take someone into preventive
custody if they feel a law and order problem may be caused and
Goud was taken into preventive custody accordingly, they said.
TRS President K Chandrasekhar Rao and other leaders went
to the Chilkalaguda police station to meet Goud. A number of
Telangana supporters held a protest outside the police
station.
"How can the police arrest Swamy Goud? The government
cannot suppress the agitation by undertaking repressive
measures like arrests. Instead of resolving the issue by
displaying statesmanship, they are trying to suppress this
agitation," the TRS president said.
Alleging that the chief minister and the Governor were
sending false reports about the agitation to the Centre, he
said a delegation of Telangana Political JAC is likely to go
to Delhi soon to meet the Central leaders.
Meanwhile, a delegation of TRS leaders met the Governor
and alleged that the phones of its important leaders are being
tapped by the police.
"We request you to kindly look into the matter and order a
judicial inquiry and punish the authorities who are violating
the fundamental human rights by tapping phones and abusing
authority, and uphold democracy and provide due justice," a
letter addressed to the Governor by the TRS president, said.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, September 17, 2011, 00:13