Lawyers add spice as Telangana simmers

Over 2,000 lawyers from the Telangana Joint Action Committee have taken the fight for a separate state all the way to New Delhi. The convener of Telangana Advocates, Rajendra Reddy told Bar & Bench, “The setting up of the Srikrishna Committee by the Union government is an ‘eye wash’ and the Union Government has to take Constitutional steps immediately.”.The lawyers on Monday protested in front of the Jantar Mantar in New Delhi, shouting slogans and holding placards, demanding that a bill for the separate formation of the state of Telangana be tabled in the current Parliamentary budget session at the earliest. The Union Government had, earlier this month, constituted a five-member expert committee headed by former Supreme Court Judge B.N. Srikrishna. Former Nalsar University of Law Director and incumbent Vice Chancellor of National Law University, Delhi, Dr. Ranbir Singh was part of the committee..So far, the Telangana issue has been restricted to Hyderabad and parts of Andhra Pradesh. However, the agitations held on Monday were heard as far as Delhi. The attempt by lawyers to march up to the Parliament was stopped by the police by using water cannons. Despite police efforts, around 200 lawyers managed to reach the Parliament annexe before being stopped by the police, where they were arrested. The lawyers were later released on bail..The Telangana agitation shows no sign of dying down. The recent suicide of three students has only intensified the agitation.