HYDERABAD: The Osmania University campus, the ‘epicentre’ of the pro-Telangana protests, was on the boil on Tuesday, the first day of the two-day Telangana bandh called by the TJAC, as students and security forces fought pitched battles. In fact, trouble started on the OU campus yesterday itself in the wake of the ‘Chalo Assembly’ rally and continued today. Meanwhile, normal life was hit across Telangana as shops and establishments were shut and RTC and private buses largely remained off roads.However, unlike on the OU campus, situation largely remained peaceful in the districts barring minor incidents. At a few places, rail traffic was disrupted for sometime while some buses were damaged. Rallies were taken out and demonstrations held across the region. Violence erupted on OU after students took out a rally demanding that all those arrested yesterday be released immediately. The ‘script’ appeared pre-planned as soon scores of students resorted to stone throwing forcing the police to retaliate with teargas shells, stun grenades and, reportedly, by firing rubber bullets.Students burnt an effigy of DGP K Aravinda Rao and even blasted it with a petrol bomb. Tempers ran high for sometime after TRS legislator T Harish Rao and former MLAs Nayani Narsimha Reddy and Padma Rao were arrested at Secunderabad when they tried to take out a motorcycle rally while TJAC convenor Prof Kodandaram was arrested at Tarnaka.The skirmishes went on till late in the night. Some students and cops were injured in the violence.Though Hyderabadis had pressed the panic button last night itself, making a beeline for petrol pumps and provision stores expecting the worse, the city remained peaceful. The streets wore a deserted look as shops and establishments were shut and the traffic was thin.Meanwhile, the venue of Jagan Mohan Reddy’s ongoing fast, presented quite a contrasting picture with many people seen hanging around. They either cheered their leader or sat in the shade eating or drinking while Jagan took a nap.In Warangal district, protestors removed the fish plates on the railway tracks at Seetanagaram crossroads near Hasanparthy halting a goods train. Some trains, including the AP Express, were stopped in Kazipet and Mancheriyal. However, police quelled the protestors and allowed the trains to proceed.In Karimnagar, there were token protests like rallies and dharnas. At a few places, the mobs smashed a few signboards and damaged the office of a finance company. In Sangareddy rural, protestors set on fire two buses belonging to Sri Chaitanya group.

NEWSoverWORLD