Tension prevailed in Jala Soudha, headquarters of the irrigation department, on Friday with supporters of Telangana and Seemandhra nearly coming to blows over bifurcation of the state.
As Seemandhra staff staged a dharna with flowers in their ears at the office at Erram Manjil to protest the proposed division, Telangana employees countered it by holding a lunch-hour protest in front of the main gate. Both groups raised slogans to highlight their cause, with Telangana employees challenging the Seemandhra staff to stop bifurcation if they could and the latter retaliating that they will ensure status quo. The situation took a turn for the worse the two groups started jostling each other, forcing the police to rush in and separating them.
Meanwhile, Congress leader N Tusali Reddy tried to barge into Jala Soudha in support of Seemandhra staff but this was opposed by the Telangana staff. Police stopped him from entering the premises and took him into custody.
As the situation turned tense, police officials from Punjagutta and Saifabad rushed to the place and asked the two groups to disperse. But the Telangana staff demanded that all outsiders be sent out. Police then took some outsiders, including a contractor, into precautionary custody, tightened security around the place and did not even allow the media inside.
Both groups of employees continued their agitation till 2 pm. "Seemandhra employees are belittling our Telangana by staging a dharna with flowers on the ears. This has enraged employees from Telangana," said an employee.
Meanwhile, at the secretariat, both Seemandhra and Telangana employees continued their agitation. Elsewhere during the day, Telangana ministers P Laxmaiah, J Geeta Reddy and B Sariah held a meeting in K Jana Reddy's chambers to chalk out 'victory celebrations' for achieving the goal of getting a separate Telangana state. At Indira Park, the Telangana JAC held a demonstration and demanded that the Centre expedite the process of creating Telangana state.
Transport minister Botsa Satyanarayana held talks with striking RTC unions and urged them to call off their agitation. RTC managing director AK Khan pointed out that the corporation was incurring a loss of Rs 13 crore every day because of the agitations and the cumulative loss was already Rs 200 crore, adding that they would not be able to pay salaries if the agitation continues. However, Union leaders refused to call off the strike unless the Centre rolls back its decision .
Prof Kodandaram said that T activists must be alert in the wake of intense efforts by Seemandhra leaders to influence the Congress leadership to revoke the decision on Telangana.
As Seemandhra staff staged a dharna with flowers in their ears at the office at Erram Manjil to protest the proposed division, Telangana employees countered it by holding a lunch-hour protest in front of the main gate. Both groups raised slogans to highlight their cause, with Telangana employees challenging the Seemandhra staff to stop bifurcation if they could and the latter retaliating that they will ensure status quo. The situation took a turn for the worse the two groups started jostling each other, forcing the police to rush in and separating them.
Meanwhile, Congress leader N Tusali Reddy tried to barge into Jala Soudha in support of Seemandhra staff but this was opposed by the Telangana staff. Police stopped him from entering the premises and took him into custody.
As the situation turned tense, police officials from Punjagutta and Saifabad rushed to the place and asked the two groups to disperse. But the Telangana staff demanded that all outsiders be sent out. Police then took some outsiders, including a contractor, into precautionary custody, tightened security around the place and did not even allow the media inside.
Both groups of employees continued their agitation till 2 pm. "Seemandhra employees are belittling our Telangana by staging a dharna with flowers on the ears. This has enraged employees from Telangana," said an employee.
Meanwhile, at the secretariat, both Seemandhra and Telangana employees continued their agitation. Elsewhere during the day, Telangana ministers P Laxmaiah, J Geeta Reddy and B Sariah held a meeting in K Jana Reddy's chambers to chalk out 'victory celebrations' for achieving the goal of getting a separate Telangana state. At Indira Park, the Telangana JAC held a demonstration and demanded that the Centre expedite the process of creating Telangana state.
Transport minister Botsa Satyanarayana held talks with striking RTC unions and urged them to call off their agitation. RTC managing director AK Khan pointed out that the corporation was incurring a loss of Rs 13 crore every day because of the agitations and the cumulative loss was already Rs 200 crore, adding that they would not be able to pay salaries if the agitation continues. However, Union leaders refused to call off the strike unless the Centre rolls back its decision .
Prof Kodandaram said that T activists must be alert in the wake of intense efforts by Seemandhra leaders to influence the Congress leadership to revoke the decision on Telangana.
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