Telangana districts on Tuesday saw protests by TRS party cadres at major roads and junctions, choking traffic along those routes. The ruling TRS enforced the Bharat Bandh after the Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao extended his support to the cause on Saturday. The party, however, found resistance from some sections of the public with some shop owners refusing to down their shutters while angry commuters were stranded due to blocked roads.
Hyderabad saw a partial shutdown with city buses and autorickshaws mostly staying off roads, a few shops and establishments keeping shutters down. City life, however, was mostly unaffected by the one-day protest. Tuesday also saw instances where members of the public were allegedly intimidated by TRS party workers trying to enforce the bandh against the three farm laws, recently passed in Parliament.
The nationwide protest received political support from the TRS in Telangana, with KCR asking party workers and leaders to take part in the protest against the farmer laws. The Chief Minister had also appealed to the public to make the Bharat Bandh, called for by farmers protesting in Delhi, a success.
Since Tuesday morning, TRS workers blocked roads as they waved party flags, disrupted the Hyderabad Metro service briefly. Videos emerged on social media of TRS workers facing resistance while attempting to force shop owners to down their shutters. One shop at Yadadrigutta was allegedly vandalised by TRS functionaries after the shop owner refused to down shutters.
భారత్ రైతు బంద్ పేరుతో యాదగిరిగుట్ట లో దుకాణం పై దాడి.. #FarmersProtestHijacked #FarmersProtest #Telangana pic.twitter.com/jCwDofCupL
— keshaboina sridhar (@keshaboinasri) December 8, 2020
In another video that went viral, a woman commuter from Kukatpally could be seen arguing with the local police and the protesters questioning them over holding a protest and blocking roads before 11 am. The woman could be heard saying that the protests were to be held only between morning 11 and 3 pm. The woman along with fellow commuters had been waiting at the bus stop for over an hour-and-a-half for the traffic to clear. The woman claimed to have also tried pleading with TRS leaders to let the traffic through.
In another video that emerged the TRS MLA for Serilingampally constituency, Arekapudi Gandhi can be seen listening to a commuter air his grievance over the blocked roads. The leader then pushes aside the commuter, who was shoved by a party worker.
Hyderabad : TRS MLA Arekapudi Gandhi and his followers assaults a citizen for questioning on blocking road. @KTRTRS pic.twitter.com/hS2L9yTqSs
— Sowmith (@sowmith7) December 8, 2020