NEW DELHI: Hundreds of lawyers from Telangana staged a protest rally Monday in the national capital demanding statehood for the region and tried to enter the parliament annexe, police said.

Holding placards with messages such as “Lathi, goli khayenge, Telanagana le jaayenge” (we will suffer baton and bullets but will take Telangana) and shouting “Jai Telangana”, men and women dressed in their black and white lawyers’ attiregathered at Jantar Mantar in the heart of the capital and voiced their demands.

The protest was timed to coincide with the opening day of the budget session of parliament.

The agitating lawyers demanded that a bill for formation of a separate Telangana state should be moved in parliament at the earliest.

They tried to march to parliament but were stopped by police who were present in large numbers. Police used water cannons to disperse the protestors.

However, a group of nearly 150 lawyers slipped away and managed to reach near the parliament annexe. They tried to forcibly enter the place, but were stopped by the security personnel.

“The situation is under control and no one has been allowed to enter (the parliament annexe). Extra police force has been called,” a senior police officer said.

The Telangana region comprises nine districts of Andhra Pradesh, including the state capital Hyderabad. The separate statehood to Telangana is vehemently opposed by the two other regions of the state - Rayalseema and Andhra.

Comment

If it had been in the UK or USA the lawyers would have billed their usual hourly fees for attending this demonstration plus travel expenses though not sure to whom!!!!