RTC JAC Leader Aswathama Reddy Hunger Strike Foiled,  Arrested

HYDERABAD: Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) Joint Action Committee (JAC) convenor E Aswathama Reddy who was under house arrest and on an indefinite fast for the past two days ,was taken into custody by the police on Sunday. He was picked up from his house, taken in a police vehicle and admitted to a state-run hospital for treatment, police said. Aswathama Reddy locked himself in his residence and launched indefinite hunger strike urging the government to hold talks with the TSRTC trade unions on Saturday.

Similarly, another TSRTC JAC leader Raji Reddy was taken into custody from his house. Striking workers raised slogans against the government over the police action.

In a related development, police thwarted the proposed Maha Deeksha at Indira Park by Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) in support of TSRTC workers and took several activists, including the organisation's chief Manda Krishna Madiga and leaders of different organisations and striking workers, into preventive custody from different places.

Hyderabad police commissioner Anjani Kumar on Saturday said permission was denied to MRPS to hold any dharna at Indira Chowk.

As the indefinite strike by transport employees in Telangana entered the 45th day on Monday, Ashwathama, who had begun the hunger strike on Saturday, said he would, however, continue his fast from the Hospital where he was admitted.

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