After a fortnight-long lull following the submission of Justice Srikrishna Committee report on the situation in the state, the Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC), which is spearheading the movement for a separate statehood, has intensified its agitation.
It observed a ‘rasta-roko’ on Monday that led to traffic jams at several places in all the nine districts of Telangana besides the state capital. The road-block programme, however, passed off peacefully.
At many places traffic was stranded for hours together with agitators blocking the state and national highways demanding introduction of a Bill seeking separate statehood for the region in the ensuing Budget session of Parliament.
Activists of the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), students and other constituents of JAC squatted on the roads obstructing the traffic.
At some places, the agitators were seen cooking and eating food on the roads, playing games, raising slogans and singing folk songs in favour of Telangana.
Scores of activists including JAC convenor M Kodandaram, BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya, TRS leader Nayini Narasimha Reddy were taken into custody.
Meanwhile, Congress MPs hailing from Telangana held a meeting to discuss the statehood issue. They said they had decided to put pressure on the party high command to ensure that the Bill for formation of Telangana state is introduced in the Budget session.