TRS to join protests against Centre during PM’s visit

HYDERABAD: The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) has decided to support and partake in protests by a slew of organisations against Central policies during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Telangana on November 12.

Student unions, caste organisations, workers’ unions and Left parties also plan to obstruct the Prime Minister’s visit to Ramagundam.

Modi is visiting Telangana on November 12 to dedicate the Ramagundam Fertilisers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL) factory to the nation. The PM will arrive in Hyderabad on November 12 by a special flight and will leave for Ramagundam by helicopter.

The Telangana Students' Joint Action Committee on Wednesday — in a meeting with the TRS Vidyarthi, the ruling party’s student wing — decided to rope in students from universities of Hyderabad and Ramagundam to protest against the alleged failures of the Centre in fulfilling promises made to Telangana under the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

TRSV president Gellu Srinivas Yadav said the agitation is also against the alleged attempts of the BJP to control states by misusing the Governors' office. The JAC alleged that the BJP was influencing Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan not to clear the Telangana Universities Common Recruitment Board Bill, which was passed by the State Assembly two months ago.

The students’ JAC wants the Governor recalled for allegedly not clearing the Bill, which was depriving job opportunities. The body also demanded that the PM fulfil his promise to provide 2 crore jobs per year.

The CPI and the CPM, meanwhile, announced plans to obstruct the PM’s visit to protest against the privatisation of public sector units and alleged anti-labour policies. CPI state secretary Koonamneni Sambasiva Rao said Modi “has no moral right to visit the without fulfilling the promises made to Telangana in the bifurcation Act.”

Employee and worker unions of the Singareni Collieries Company Limited and the electricity department are demanding the withdrawal of the proposed Electricity (Amendment) Bill, claiming it is not in the public interest.

SCCL workers also want the Centre to approve the proposed wage revision for coal workers. They are opposed to the privatisation of coal blocks as well as the new labour code. Workers said they will hoist black flags across the state during the Prime Minister’s visit.

Seeking categorisation of scheduled castes and an increase in reservations, the Telangana Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi will also join in the protests, while BC organisations are protesting for a caste enumeration of BCs in the upcoming Census.