Rival supporters clash with police

Scores arrested after fresh Andhra Pradesh unrest

A day after the central government indefinitely postponed its decision on the Telangana issue, the region was rocked by protests with supporters of a separate state taking to the streets.

There were also protests in the other two regions — Rayalseema and Andhra — demanding that Andhra Pradesh be kept united.

Scores of pro- Telangana protestors were arrested by police in Hyderabad, Warangal and other parts of the region during rallies and meetings that were held to condemn the statement of Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is in charge of the state.

In one protest, Telangana activists staged a demonstration with dogs, seeking to compare the central government’s attitude with the animals’ barking.

In Hyderabad, police arrested revolutionary singer Gadar, who was leading a rally to Telangana Martyrs’ Memorial at Gun Park near the state assembly. Dozens of students marching towards the venue were also detained while Telangana Rashtriya Lok Dal activists were taken into custody when they tried to lay siege to the state assembly.

Communist Party of India ( CPI) state secretary K Narayana and other party leaders and activists reached Indira Park for the rally, where numbers grew as students and leaders of various parties joined the protest.

Meanwhile, protests continued in Seemandhra ( Rayalaseema and Andhra regions) opposing possible division of Andhra Pradesh. Hundreds of people participated in a mass rally in Tirupati. Journalists also joined the protest demanding that the central government keep the state united.

Lawyers carried out a bike rally in Kurnool, demanding that any plans to split the state be dropped.