TJAC leaders and activists condemned the government for trying to scuttle the T-march after giving permission and decided to stay put on Necklace Road overnight, till the Centre announced Telangana. Despite permission to hold the meeting from 3 pm to 7 pm, the police began using water cannons from 6.40 pm to disperse the crowds. While some activists ran away, thousands remained unmoved despite the heavy downpour.
Telangana activists fought a pitched battle and remained unmoved despite police spraying water and lobbying teargas shells during Mr Venkat Reddy’s address. At the end of the meeting, Necklace Road reflected a battlefield with armed police, burnt vehicles, damaged properties and slippers left behind by crowds that ran helter-skelter to avoid the police lathi charge. TRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao condemned the police action.
“The preventing of TV channels from relaying live telecast of the march and spraying of water on the crowds is akin to undeclared emergency,” he said. TJAC leader Swami Goud’s dictat to the massive gathering not to budge even if the police rained bombs was met with wild cheers. Other speakers included TRS leaders Etala Rajender, Jupally Krishna Rao and K.T. Rama Rao, Balladeer Gaddar, PoW leaders Sandhya, Vimalakka, TD MLA S.V. Chari and others.
Sharma: extremists infiltrated march
Hyderabad police commissioner Anurag Sharma said inputs suggested that Left-wing extremist elements had infiltrated into the march. Police estimated that around 80,000 persons participated in the march. He added that specific cases will be booked against the rioters and will be investigated by the SIT. Mr Sharma added that around 25 police vehicles were damaged and four were them burnt. Several protestors were injured in the lathicharge while many police personnel including 25 policemen and IPS official Rajasekhar were injured in the stone-pelting.
Police foiled the attack on the Secretariat and Raj Bhavan which led to clashes between the police and the crowds. Two OB vans of Doordarshan and Sakshi were set afire. “Some splinter groups tried to take out a rally to Tank Bund. When they were stopped they pelted stones,” Mr Sharma said, adding, “Eat Street, Jalvihar and Ohri’s were damaged. There was no damage to Imax. Furniture and old cable room at the Necklace Road railway station were damaged.” A letter said to be written by the TJAC was distributed at the Necklace Road meeting, stating that they have come to the march to fight till death. The letter said that Egypt's Tahrir Square and Occupy Wall Street protests were to be imitated.