After suicides, shutdown hits life in Telangana

Normal life in Hyderabad and nine other districts of the Telangana region came to a halt as a 48hour shutdown called by the Joint Action Committee JAC of students began on Wednesday to protest the delay in the formation of a separate state out of Andhra Pradesh Since Monday two students have killed themselves over the issueStateowned Road Transport Corporation RTC suspended its bus services while shops business establishments and educational institutions remained closed All political parties have supported the shutdown The JAC called for a strike after two students depressed over the delay in carving out a separate Telangana state committed suicide K Venugopal Reddy a final year student of MCA set himself ablaze at Osmania University here late Monday Suvarnamma a first year BSc student in Mahabubnagar district set herself ablaze late Tuesday Tension prevailed at Osmania University campus for the second consecutive day as students continued their protest with the body of Reddy The JAC leaders who sat in front of the Arts College building with the body through Tuesday night said they would not allow it to be moved unless all MPs and state legislators from the region resign in support of the Telangana statehood demand In an attempt to shift the body police brought additional forces to the campus Wednesday morning The selfimmolations triggered angry protests by students across Telangana The students JAC called for a twoday shutdown Wednesday and Thursday The politicians JAC which comprises all parties including the ruling Congress has supported the shutdown for Wednesday The JAC also announced that all elected representatives would submit their resignations from Wednesday and those who have already done so would press for their acceptance Five legislators of Telangana Rashtra Samiti TRS and one of Praja Rajyam Party PRP began a sitin at the house of assembly speaker Kirankumar Reddy Tuesday night urging him to immediately accept their resignations The speaker however sought two to three days to take a decision With the legislators continuing their protest the police took them into custody They were later released All 39 legislators of main opposition Telugu Desam Party TDP have also decided to press the speaker to accept their resignations