UP IN ARMS: Advocates staging protest in favour of separate Telangana at the court premises in Warangal on Wednesday. — Photo: M. Murali

WARANGAL: Scores of TRS workers were taken into custody in Warangal on Wednesday after they forced shops and establishments down shutters and observe bandh.

G. Vijayarama Rao, TRS MLA, was arrested along with his followers while staging a rail-roko at the Kazipet railway station. They obstructed the Rajadhani express raising slogans in favour of separate Telangana movement and urging people to observe bandh protesting against the AP Formation Day celebrations.

Party's corporator D. Vinay Bhaskar and others were held by the police when they tried to stall official celebrations in which Major Irrigation Minister Ponnala Lakshmaiah was participating at Kakatiya Government College grounds.

The APSRTC restricted services.

Shutters downed

The bandh turned violent in Khammam town as the party activists attacked three buses and forced the businessmen to down their shutters. A private bus was among the vehicles attacked. The protester the window panes after forcing occupants to get down. The Police resorted to mild lathicharge to disperse the protesters.

The TRS workers organised a rasta roko as well.

The bandh in some parts of the district evoked no response while it was near total in places like Yellandu and Tirumalayapalem. Life was as usual in Bhadracalam, Sathupali and Madira.

A majority of educational institutions remained closed. The police cardoned off the collectorate area and the Sardar Patel Stadium, the venue for State Formation Day celebrations.

The TRs leaders Talluri Venkateswar Rao, Gopaganai Shankar Rao and E. Harbabu were among those who led the party workers during the bandh.

The bandh was partial in Adilabad. TRS workers staged rasta-roko and rallies in support of the bandh at different places. Boath, mandal headquarters, which is also the constituency headquarters, observed bandh unheeding local MLA Soyam Bapu Rao's call for the contrary.

Near total

In Karimnagar, it was near total. Incidentally, private educational institutions declared a holiday and participated in the protest. TRS legislators -- Etala Rajender and V Lakshmikantha Rao -- and other leaders obstructed movement of RTC buses at the bus station complex. But, the police foiled their attempts.

The bandh was peaceful in Nalgonda district even as the police arrested about 150 activists, including the party district president and Aler MLA K. Nagesh. Banks were closed for customers but employees attended their duties. Bus services were not seriously affected.

In Nizamabad too the bandh was peaceful and near total. The APSRTC suspended bus services to villages and other places. Advocates boycotted courts.

In Medak town, TRS activists snatched and damaged a few copies of The Hindu from the local distributor in the early hours of the day. In Sangareddy and Patancheru, protester organised rasta roko in front of the bus stands but the police evicted them.

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