Pro-Telangana rally turns violent as students go on rampage

Hyderabad, Feb 21 (PTI) The ''Chalo Assembly'' rally callgiven by Telangana Students Joint Action Committee (TSJAC)witnessed widespread violence at several places in the citytoday with pro-Telangana students going on a rampage byclashing with police and damaging public properties.

Tension prevailed in different locations of Hyderabad aspro-Telangana activists allegedly set fire to a bogie of MMTStrain (local train), attacked a railway station and ransackedfurniture, damaged at least five buses (including state-runand private) and also indulged in heavy stone pelting atpolice personnel in and around the Osmania University campus,the police said.

Despite prohibitory orders and heavy security around theAssembly building, scores of pro-Telangana students managed toreach near the building after the session was adjourned fortomorrow. However, the police chased them away and put theminto vans.

"Over 150 agitators (girls and boys) were taken intocustody near the Assembly as they tried to storm thepremises," a senior police officer told PTI adding noprotester entered the Assembly premises.

Though five students tried to climb the Gate No.1 of theAssembly at around 4 pm, their attempt was also foiled, theofficer said.

The TSJAC and different organisations had given a ''ChaloAssembly'' call to press for introduction of Telangana Bill inthe budget session of Parliament for carving out a separateTelangana state from Andhra Pradesh.

At the OU campus, police lobbed several rounds oftear-gar shells and used force to disperse the protestingstudents who pelted stones on them when they were preventedfrom taking out a rally from the varsity campus via Adikmetflyover. .