Telangana groups to lay siege to Hyderabad

HYDERABAD: Telangana groups fighting for separate statehood to the region plan to lay siege to Hyderabad in the second week of October, a top leader of the movement said Wednesday.Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) legislator Harish Rao told reporters here that they would now focus on Hyderabad."We will lay siege to the city in the second week of next month," said Rao while leading a protest at Hitec City, the information technology hub here.Police arrested Rao and dozens of his supporters for blocking the road. The protest was part of "road blockade" called by the Telangana Joint Action Committee (JAC) to intensify the ongoing movement for separate state.The JAC has already given a call for shutdown in Hyderabad Sep 30. It also plans to organise "rail blockade" across Telangana Oct 9-11.The JAC's "million march" March 10 had led to violence in the city with protesters vandalising statues of Andhra leaders on the banks of the Hussain Sagar Lake.TRS leaders plan to organise the proposed protest in Hyderabad on the lines of protests in Egypt and Libya.State-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) buses remained off the roads in Hyderabad and nine other districts of Telangana for the 10th consecutive day.Coal production in Singareni Collieries also remained paralysed, affecting electricity generation and supply.The administration has come to a standstill in the region since Sep 13 when the government employees launched an indefinite strike.According to the JAC, over 800,000 employees are participating in the strike.