Hyderabad: The indefinite strike by employees of the Telangana State Road Transport Corporation, which is now in its 39th day, will be intensified from Tuesday, unions spearheading the agitation announced.
Union leaders and corporation employees laid siege to district collectorates and residences of public representatives across the state on Monday. Tension prevailed in Warangal, Nizamabad, Nalgonda and other districts when union leaders confronted police who tried to prevent agitating staff from laying the siege.
The security forces had to physically remove leaders from various protest sites.
TSRTC Joint Action Committee convener E. Ashwathama Reddy said their proposed hunger strike on Tuesday was being postponed due to court hearing. However, he said, they would meet Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on the day and explain the high-handed behaviour of police with agitators, particularly women.
Mr Ashwathama Reddy expressed happiness that the state government’s claim about RTC strike being illegal had been rejected. He said they would lodge a complaint on Wednesday with the National Human Rights Commission and National Commission for Women over the repression unleashed against employees since the launch of their strike. He reiterated that they would blockade roads throughout the state on November 18.
The union leader urged the government to honour the Telangana High Court directive and invite RTC workers for talks.
Condemning Saturday's police action against employees and others who participated in ‘Chalo Tank Bund’, Mr Reddy said no Maoists had participated in the stir as alleged by police. “TSRTC workers and members of political parties voluntarily took part,” he said.
