Hyderabad, December 24: Incensed with the Union government’s apparent move to put the separate Telangana issue on the backburner, spontaneous protests broke out in various parts of the city late on Wednesday night with protesters damaging public property.
Chief minister K Rosaiah held an emergency meeting with director general of police (DGP) R R Girish Kumar and other senior officers to assess the situation. Police were told not to be lenient with anyone who tries to create law and order problems.
“Legal action will be taken against those who give inflammatory statements provoking people to resort to violence,” the DGP said. All districts SPs and police commissioners in the state have been asked to stay alert .
Prohibitory orders, including Section 144 of CrPC, were imposed in all Telangana districts. Hyderabad police commissioner B Prasada Rao issued orders imposing a ban on rallies and public meetings in the city from 6 am on Thursday to 6 am on Wednesday next.
Similar orders were issued by Cyberabad police commissioner S Prabhakar Reddy from Wednesday evening to January 1, 2010 morning.
High alert has been sounded in Telangana districts, specifically Hyderabad and Warangal regions.
Minutes after Union home minister P Chidambaram read out the statement seeking more consultations on Telangana, Osmania University students took out a rally towards NCC gate. However, they were intercepted by police and sent back. Nizam College students also staged a protest shouting slogans for a separate state near LB stadium.
Suspecting violent reactions from the student fraternity, heavy police bandobust has been provided at OU campus.
Two buses were set ablaze and stones were pelted on seven more RTC buses on the Lalaguda-Tarnaka stretch. Two fire tenders were rushed to the spot from OU and Malkajgiri fire stations with police protection. An RTC bus and a truck were set ablaze by students at Chaitanyapuri area.
–Agencies–