Tension in parts of Hyderabad as Telangana march begins

Tension prevailed in parts of Hyderabad as hundreds of pro-Telangana activists were reaching the Necklace Road Sunday to participate in a march to demand separate Telangana state.Telangana protagonists from various parts of Hyderabad and neighbouring districts started reaching the venue on the bank of Hussain Sagar lake in the heart of the city since Sunday morning. Protestors were trying to take out rallies to reach the Necklace Road.Tension prevailed at Osmania University, the nerve centre of the movement for separate state, as students clashed with police.Students, who wanted to take out a rally, were stopped by police at the main gate of the campus. Raising slogans of 'Jai Telangana', the students removed barricades and pelted stones at the police personnel. Although police fired teargas shells, hundreds of students were still present on the campus, determined to take out a rally.Police said that permission was given only for the march at the Necklace Road and that they would not allow any other rally.There was also tension at Secunderabad Clock Tower as leaders and activists of CPI-ML New Democracy were prevented by police from taking out a rally.The Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC), Telangana Rashtra Samithi, the Bharatiya Janata Party, and various organisations of students, employees and lawyers also planned to take out rallies from various places in the city to join the main march at the Necklace Road. Leaders of the Congress party from Telangana, including eight MPs, and leaders of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) from the region are also likely to participate in the protest, demanding that the central government take immediate steps for statehood to the Telangana region.JAC convenor M. Kodandaram and leaders of other parties condemned what they called the government's conspiracy to foil the march by cancelling trains and buses from various parts of Telangana to Hyderabad.They alleged that hundreds of people coming to Hyderabad from various districts were arrested by police."On one hand the government has given permission for the march but on the other it is resorting to repressive measures," said Kodandaram.Another Telangana leader and state legislator, N. Janardhana Reddy warned that if the government tried to foil the march, they would disrupt the UN global biodiversity meet opening in the city Monday.