World | India
48-hour Telangana front shutdown cripples Andhra
Commuters stranded as bus services suspended
- IANS
- Published: 00:00 December 7, 2009
- Image Credit: Gulf News
Hyderabad: The 48-hour shutdown called by the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) demanding a separate statehood for Telangana from Andhra Pradesh crippled normal life in Hyderabad and nine other districts of the region yesterday as party chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao's fast-unto-death entered the eighth day.
Tension prevailed in the region as policemen were deployed in huge numbers to prevent violence during the shutdown, which began on midnight Saturday.
Thousands of passengers were stranded as the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) suspended all bus services within the region and services to other regions passing through Telangana.
Shops, business establishments, cinemas and petrol stations remained closed in Hyderabad and other parts of Telangana. Motorists had a harrowing time as several petrol stations downed shutters even before the shutdown began while hundreds of vehicles were lined up at some stations till midnight here.
There was a scramble at ATMs as people rushed to withdraw money before the shutdown. The ATMs of several banks ran out of cash.
In Hyderabad and elsewhere life came to a complete halt as the day is also being observed as "black day" and Muslim organisations have given a call for a shutdown to mark the anniversary of the demolition of Babri Masjid. Police have banned the assembly of five or more people in the state capital.
Fast
The condition of Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) president K. Chandrasekhar Rao, who is on a fast-unto-death, is stable. Rao, who has been on a fast since last week in support of the statehood demand for Telangana, is weak but stable, doctors attending to him said.
The TRS president is being provided supportive therapy with fluids and multi-vitamins being given to him, they said. Rao is being treated in Hyderabad. Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president D. Srinivas yesterday said he would leave for New Delhi today to apprise Sonia Gandhi of the ongoing struggle for Telangana.
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