Several parts of Telangana State remained tense on Friday with the State government confirming news about 25 new districts and the people’s representatives demanding that the government announce their constituencies as district headquarters.
Political leaders in Jangaon in Warangal district and Gadwal in Mahbubnagar district have strongly demanded that their areas be declared as district headquarters. The people in both the towns invaded roads on Thursday and held protests making police on tenterhooks. With the police trying to pacify the agitators in Jangaon, the latter went on rampage hurling stones at police personnel and destroying over 20 private vehicles and RTC buses. A bus belonging to Jangaon bus depot was set ablaze by the irate agitators. The police personnel, in self-defence, swung their lathis and dispersed the vandals and took the Joint Action Committee leaders into custody.
In Gadwal town in Mahbubnagar district, the Congress leaders and workers, led by MLAs D K Aruna and Sampath Kumar, have invaded roads demanding that the State government declare Gadwal as a special district headquarter town. They squatted on the road at Erravalli crossroads and brought vehicular traffic to a grinding halt for hours.
On receipt of the information, the police officials rushed to the spot and politely tried to pacify them to disperse. When the agitators remained firm on their demand and argued with the police, DK Aruna and Sampath Kumar were taken into custody amidst a tense situation. (NSS)