Rail transport was paralysed in the city and nine other districts of Telangana region of the state on Tuesday as protesters demanding separate statehood to the region squatted on railway tracks. All express trains from Hyderabad to various cities in the state and other destinations in India, and all passenger trains in Telangana and to other regions of the state were cancelled while several long-distance trains coming to Hyderabad were stopped.

The protests also badly hit the movement of trains between south and north India. Trains from Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore and other cities to Delhi and other destinations in the north were stopped by the protesters. The protesters of various pro-Telangana groups stopped dozens of trains in and around Hyderabad, Nalgonda, Warangal, Nizamabad, Khammam and other districts even as railway authorities cancelled 25 express trains, causing severe inconvenience to passengers.

The 'rail blockade' called by Telangana Joint Action Committee began at 6 a.m. on Tuesday and will continue for 12 hours, to press the central government into introducing a bill in parliament for the formation of a separate Telangana state. Raising slogans of 'Jai Telangana' and holding flags and banners, activists of the TRS,BJP and other constituents of the JAC, squatted on the tracks to stop the trains.

They were also cooking and eating food, singing songs, playing games and performing all their daily chores along the tracks. At a few places, police arrested the protesters. Telangana leaders of the TDP, CPI and Telangana Praja Front of Maoist sympathiser Gaddar and Telangana lawyers' forum are also supporting the rail blockade. TDP legislators from Telangana were arrested when they squatted on the tracks at Secunderabad railway station.

JAC chairman M. Kodandaram led the protest at Ghatkesar near Hyderabad, blocking movement of several trains. He said the participation in the protest by parties which are not part of JAC was a victory of people of the region. He claimed that the programme was peaceful and successful. The protesters led by TRS chief K. Chandrasekhara Rao's daughter Kavita blocked trains at Bibi Nagar near Hyderabad while his son and legislator K. Tarakarama Rao led the protest at Moulali.

Published Date : Wednesday, 2/3/2011 2:49 PM IST