Hyderabad, September 29: The striking Telangana employees in the Secretariat have given a call to observe Secretariat Bandh on Thursday to protest against the arrest of their members. Three drivers were taken into custody on Wednesday for not discharging their duties.
The employees’ leaders said that they would not allow the other loyal employees to discharge their duties on Thursday. The drivers’ union in the Secretariat also joined the Telangana strike from September 26, which became intolerable for the officials.
Earlier, as part of the general strike, routine demonstrations held by the agitating employees took a violent turn on Wednesday with the arrest of their leader Narender Rao and three drivers. They were taken to the Kanchanbagh police station located in the old city. Later Narender Rao was released while the three drivers were detained.
Demanding release of the other three drivers the Secretariat, staff held demonstrations raising slogans in support of Telangana State near the out gate and later they took out a rally, headed by Suresh Kumar, Secretariat staff general secretary, to the C block where they also staged a sit-in protest.
Meanwhile, Telangana leader Srinivas Goud met Chief Secretary SV Prasad and urged for release of their drivers failing which they threatened to stop the work in Secretariat. Presently, the loyal employees belonging to Seemandhra region are attending duties. For the first time in the recent past the Rapid Action Force personnel who were requisitioned from the centre were pressed into service in addition to the regular forces at the Secretariat.
——-Agencies