Normal life was paralysed across Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh on Thursday as the 48-hour bandh called by TRS and other parties to protest the Centre's decision to hold further consultations on the statehood issue began with violent breaking out at some places.
The shutdown call had an immediate impact as students and other Telangana supporters came on to the streets and resorted to stone pelting on buses and shops in Hyderabad and other Telangana districts.
Violence broke out in Hyderabad, Warangal and other places in the region within hours of the Centre's announcement as police resorted to baton-charge to disperse angry crowds of protesters.
In the state capital, several petrol pumps were shutdown soon after TRS President K Chandrasekhar Rao and other Telangana leaders gave the bandh call. Long queues were witnessed at the few petrol stations that remained open.
Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) suspended services in the city and other Telangana districts. A large number of commuters were stranded in Hyderabad as the city buses run by APSRTC remained off the roads.
Incidents of buses and other vehicles being burnt were reported from several places in the city since late last night after the shutdown began.
Centre last night said there was a need to hold wide ranging consultations on the Telangana issue with all political parties and groups in the state.
TRS activists and other Telangana supporters plan to hold protests during the day.
The Opposition BJP has also called for a shutdown today to protest the Centre's fresh statement on Telangana.
TRS, a section of Congress leaders from Telangana, Chiranjeevi-led Praja Rajyam besides other outfits demanding a separate Telangana state would meet later in the day to chalk out their future course of action.
Hundreds of slogan-shouting students held a rally in Osmania University (OU) campus in Hyderabad on Thursday and staged demonstration in front of the nearby police station in support of statehood for Telangana.
The heavy police force, consisting of anti-riot Rapid Action Force and other paramilitary forces - deployed in the campus - prevented the students from taking out a mock funeral procession of UPA leaders and stopped them in front of OU police station.
A tense situation prevailed in the campus, a hotbed of pro-Telangana agitations, after students refused to disperse despite repeated requests from senior police officials.
Angered over the Centre's latest statement calling for wide-ranging consultations with all political parties and groups on Telangana issue, some members of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Osmania University Students Association began a hunger strike in front of the Arts College.
Security personnel surrounded the students even as pro-Telangana activists were chased away in Manikeswari Nagar adjoining the campus.
Prohibitory orders have been imposed banning rallies and processions in and around the university and in the city till January 1.
Telugu Desam Party politburo member Nagam Janardhan Reddy was ON Thursday attacked by irate students when he visited Osmania University in Hyderabad to express solidarity with them on the Telangana statehood issue.
Mobbed by the students, Nagam collapsed and was rushed by his aides to a nearby hospital on a motorbike.
The protesters stoned, turned upside down and badly damaged the cars in which Nagam, another TDP MLA E Dayakar Rao and their supporters had come to the university.
Nagam went to the university soon after submitting his resignation from the MLA's post on the Telangana issue, an aide of his said.
The students also mobbed and tried to attack Dayakar Rao, he said.
The aide said there were no police personnel present at the scene of the attack despite advance information being given to them that the TDP MLAs would be visiting the university campus.
