Hyderabad turns into fortress ahead of Telangana march

Hyderabad: The police have been put on high alert in Hyderabad following a call by the Telangana Joint Action Committee for “March to Assembly” on Friday. Apart from bolstering the security cordon around the assembly building in heart of Hyderabad, all the highways and other roads linking the state capital to Telangana districts have been sealed off.

Police have set up check posts on roads linking Hyderabad to Mehubnhagar, Medak, Nalgonda and Warangal. No vehicle was being allowed to proceed towards Hyderabad with out checking. The measures were aimed at preventing any large scale movement of Telangana supporters towards Hyderabad.

In Hyderabad, the barbed wire fencing around the assembly has been further increased in height. In an unprecedented move the police have also set up embankment with sand bags on the main gates of the assembly and armed policemen have taken position behind them. All the roads leading towards the assembly will also be sealed off with barbed wires to prevent people from moving towards the assembly on Friday.

Hyderabad city police commissioner Anurag Sharma, after a review meeting with senior officials said that permitting “Chalo Assembly” programme was not possible as miscreants and Maoists can take advantage of it and create serious law and order problems.

Pointing out that Maoist leaders have called for turning the Telangana movement in to a militant movement, he said that there were indications that Maoists were trying to infiltrate the movement and take advantage of the situation.

He said that the past experience shows that such large gatherings can lead to law and order problems. He pointed out that there was trouble during the last massive gathering of Telangana supporters near Hussain Sagar lake and 34 cases were booked. Earlier the Million March programme on Tank Bund also witnessed violent incidents, he said.

Meanwhile Osmania University campus in Hyderabad today witnessed a clash between the police and the pro Telangana students as they tried to take out a rally in support of Friday’s programme. After police prevented the students from Marching out of the campus, they pelted stones on the police. Police lobbed tear gas shells to disperse the students.