Hyderabad, October 17: The Telangana Political Joint Action Committee has called for Telangana Bandh on Monday. However, the TJAC has also announced that there will not be Rail Roko agitation on Monday.
Talking to reporters at Telangana Bhavan after holding JAC’s meeting here on Sunday, JAC chairman Prof M Kodandaram said that the three-day Rail Roko agitation has been called off and there would be only Telangana Bandh on Monday. He said that the RTC Employees JAC which ended 27-day long strike on Saturday night, would also participate in the Telangana Bandh. Other unions have also announced their support for the bandh.
Seeking the support of all sections of the society in the region, Kodandaram appealed to them to make Telangana Bandh a success. He also briefed the media about the decisions taken during the JAC meeting attended by Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrashekhar Rao, BJP leader Ch Vidyasagar Rao, representatives of New Democracy party and leaders of various employees’ JACs.
Kodandaram slammed the State Government for booking cases against the activists and leaders who participated in the Rail Roko agitation. “None of them committed crime. They just squatted on the railway track which is not a crime,” he said while referring to the cases booked against MPs and MLAs under the Railway Act. He alleged that the government has misused the power to sabotage the Telangana agitation which has been going on peacefully. He said that the government has made a mockery of the constitution and democracy while dealing with the Telangana agitation.
The JAC chairman said that Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has used the State police forces as a private agency and the sections that were clamped against the activists were decided even before the arrests were made. He said that despite all attempts, the government has failed to tone down the agitation and the Rail Roko was a grand success. He praised the activists for participating in the agitation despite knowing the consequences that they would have to face.
Kodandaram criticised the Centre for being non-responsive to both the agitation, as well as the rude manner in which the government tried to contain it. He was also critical of the Telangana ministers for remaining silent over the way government treated Telangana activists. He demanded that the Telangana ministers resign from their posts immediately.
The JAC chairman announced that the Sakala Janula Samme will continue and more protests including ‘Telangana March’ and ‘Chalo Hyderabad’ would be organised soon.
——Agencies