Hyderabad: Deepawali enthusiasm has turned sour for many in Hyderabad intending to travel to their native towns on Saturday, October 18, as public transport has virtually come to a stop and cabs are allegedly charging double, amid the statewide bandh against the Telangana High Court’s stay on 42 per cent BC quota in local body polls.
Desperate to reach home on time to celebrate Deepawali with their loved ones, many citizens were left stranded looking for an alternative travel option. Videos of families with little children standing in bus stops across Hyderabad have emerged on social media platforms.
A HP petrol bunk was vandalised by protestors in Nallakunta area. A Bajaj showroom and Raghavendra Tiffin Center were forcibly shut down after shoes were hurled.
The shutdown, which began at 4 am, has disrupted TGSRTC bus services as protesters blocked depots in several districts. Essential services like medical shops and ambulances remain exempt.
Major RTC depots like MGBS, Rathifile, and Amberpet witnessed protests, with buses confined to depots. Educational institutions and business establishments declared a holiday. The bandh has paralysed transport across districts, including Mahabubnagar, Karimnagar, Siddipet, Khammam, Kothagudem, Sangareddy, Medak, Nalgonda, and Adilabad. Bus services have largely stopped, schools remained closed, and streets wore a deserted look.
On October 9, the Telangana High Court issued an interim stay against a Government Order providing 42 per cent BC reservation in local body elections.
