Hyderabad: In the day-long statewide bandh called by the agitating TSRTC workers, cab aggregators Ola and Uber have also joined the indefinite strike demanding regularisation in the cab aggregator market. The drivers' association claimed that 50,000 cabs have gone off the roads.

The bandh has been called by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of TSRTC employees, who have been on strike since October 5 to with a demand of TSRTC's merger with the government and the indefinite strike entered the 15th day on Saturday.

Bus Depos Deserted

Transport services were hit as a majority of the TSRTC buses remained confined to depots in Hyderabad along with 32 other districts in Telangana with protesting employees staging a sit-in to prevent the vehicles from coming out. Mahatma Gandhi Bus Station (MGBS), the biggest bus station in Hyderabad, wore a near-deserted look as most of the buses came to a standstill.

Opposition Parties Pressurize Government

All the Opposition parties Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Telangana Jana Samithi (TJS), Jana Sena, Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) in Telangana have raised their voice against CM KCR's decision on TSRTC strike and extended their support to all the RTC employees, along with the trade unions, various organisations of employees, teachers and workers, student bodies and people's groups also supporting TSRTC strike.

Opposition Leaders Arrested

Police arrested leaders of the Opposition parties for staging protests along with the striking TSRTC employees at various places in the state. TJS president M. Kodandaram, TDP leaders L. Ramna and R. Chandrashekhar Reddy and leaders of the Left parties were arrested by the police.

Tension Prevails In Telangana

Protesters pelted stones at a few places in Nizamabad district and at Wanaparthy, damaging four buses. Police made elaborate security arrangements in Hyderabad and other towns to prevent violence. TSRTC was operating a few buses with the help of temporary employees and under police protection.

CM KCR In Tough Spot

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao (KCR) who has ruled out taking back agitating employees and recruited more temporary employees and hired more private buses in TSRTC come under flak from the Opposition for taking a tough stand on the strike. (With inputs from IANS)