 "Showdown likely between proponents of united AP, separate Telangana")
The stage is set for a showdown between the proponents of united Andhra and separate Telangana here on Saturday.
While the Andhra Pradesh Non-Gazetted Officers Association (APNGOs) is going ahead with its plan to hold "Save Andhra Pradesh" meeting, the pro Telangana outwits have given a call for a 24-hour bandh to be observed from the midnight of Friday.
On the other hand, the Osmania University Joint Action Committee has given a separate call for blocking all rail and road routes leading to the state capital from Andhra and Rayalaseema regions. The Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi, an organisation of Dalits, had also given a call for Hyderabad bandh on Saturday.
Also Read
Meanwhile, an advocate, T Sriranga Rao, filed a petition urging the state high court to direct the police to withdraw permission given to APNGOs to hold their meeting.
According to the Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) chairman M Kodandaram, the bandh call has been given to protest against the "anti-Telangana attitude" of chief minister, N Kiran Kumar Reddy. He contended that the state government has gone out of the way in granting permission for APNGOs to hold the meeting while at the same time rejecting the application of the TJAC for holding a peace rally on the same day.
Hyderabad police commissioner Anurag Sharma, however, said that the permission was given on first come, first served basis. The APNGOs applied for permission on August 20 and other groups applied later.
The permission given to APNGOs to hold the meeting on Saturday is subject to certain conditions, including confining the attendance to only employees and taking responsibility for any damage to property or outbreak of violence at the venue.
On their part, the police has decided to keep a close watch on the APNGOs meeting. Sharma said that there are 45 platoons AP Special Police and 11 companies of paramilitary forces in the city at present.