Million March in Hyderabad pauses life; violence reported

Hyderabad, Mar 10: Its million march time again, but this time its not in Egypt or Libya but in Hyderabad over the simmering Telangana issue. The issue is back in the spotlight after an intermittent lull. Thursday, Mar 10 will see a million people walk in protest putting the nerve centre of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad on a standstill. Organised by the Telangana Joint Action Committee, the march will immensely affect public life, and has already affected to a certain extent.

While the police are having a hard time curbing the huge movement of Telangana supporters that have emerged from as many as 10 districts of AP, they have also made preventive arrests across the city. Traffic jams are rife and there is a curfew-like situation unfolding in the city throwing businesses out of gear.

With examination schedules in jeopardy, the students will have to face the indirect brunt of the T-agitation. With public transport and train services disrupted and even cancelled to limit the entry of protestors in the city, the police are still grappling with the huge number of people that have entered the city.

Latest news have revealed that there are incidents of violence, including stone pelting at the police by protestors. The police have responded to the pelting with firing tear gas shells to disperse the mob. News have also emerged that the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader and former minister N. Narasimha Reddy has been arrested in Hyderabad.

12,000 policemen that includes paramilitary forces have been stationed in the assembly area, ie. the near the Tank Bund area. The centre of the agitation, the Osmania University has been sealed with movement restricted to and from the campus.

The march is scheduled between 1:00pm and 4:00pm and promises to be a peaceful one, and is “only aimed at drawing the Centre's attention on the Telangana issue." The organisers have the support of the BJP, certain Congress legislators supporting the cause and the TDP and will make their presence felt in the million march.

OneIndia News