TRS bandh turns violent, buses torched

Hyderabad, Jul 19: The bandh called by the Telagnana Rastra Samithi (TRS) demanding the Andhra Pradesh government mount pressure on the Centre for the creation of a separate state Telangana turned violent when the TRS activists set ablaze state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) buses in Telangana districts.

The TRS activists set afire to the RTC bus at Godavarikhani in Karim Nagar district while another private bus was completely burnt in the attack at Annaram in Medak district.

Police said the TRS agitators broke the windows and deflated the tyres of the RTC buses when they were coming out of the bus depots.

More than 70 buses were damaged even as the bus services were suspended in the majority of the areas.

Commercial establishments, government offices and educational instituions remained closed in the districts.

In the capital, the TRS activists staged dharna at RTC Cross Road where they broke window panes of ten RTC buses. More than 100 activists were taken into custody.

However, the bandh call evoked mixed response in the city where there was not much impact on daily life. Only in some areas, shops remained closed.

UNI