The Hindu : Front Page : KCR ends fast; bandh turns violent

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Tuesday, Dec 01, 2009
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KCR ends fast; bandh turns violent

Special Correspondent

– Photo: G.N. Rao

End of ordeal: TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao being offered fruit juice before he called off his fast at the Government Hospital in Khammam on Monday.

HYDERABAD: Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K. Chandrasekhar Rao ended his indefinite fast in Khammam on Monday evening in circumstances as dramatic as Sunday morning’s developments when he was picked up by the police in Karimnagar.

Mr. Rao accepted a glass of juice in the Khammam Civil Hospital where he was taken from the sub-jail on the recommendation of a team of doctors from Gandhi Hospital, Secunderabad, which was rushed there. His nephew and party MLA, T. Harish Rao, when he ended his fast, claimed that KCR was forcibly administered saline after he which he called off his protest.

There was an angry reaction to Mr. Rao abruptly calling off his hunger strike from staunch supporters of Telangana, including balladeer Gaddar, who wanted him to tender an apology to the people. They said lives had been lost during the last two days after KCR announced he would fast-unto-death.

The TRS president, who spoke to mediapersons from his hospital bed, appealed to students not to resort to violence as it was not the party’s philosophy. He said the TRS would chalk out its future strategy on securing statehood for Telgangana.

Earlier in the day, the bandh in Telangana took a violent turn as TRS followers took to the streets damaging vehicles and private property. Normal life was paralysed in Hyderabad and other Telangana districts as government offices, educational institutions and shops remained shut in response to the party’s bandh call to protest KCR’s arrest and Sunday’s ‘brutal’ lathi-charge by police on Osmania University students.

The A. P. State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC), which was the main target of the protesters’ ire, pulled out its buses forcing commuters to remain in their homes.

Youth ends life

In Karimnagar district, G. Prithviraj (20), a leader of TRS youth wing, committed suicide by hanging himself in Valgonda village of Mallapur mandal. Police said Prithviraj was found missing from his house on Sunday night after watching the news about KCR’s arrest.

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