Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Communist Party of India (CPI) blocked the Hyderabad-Vijayawada highway and took out rallies in support of the ongoing protest which was started on October 5 by the workers of the state-owned Road Transport Corporation (RTC) in Telangana. Due to the blockade, business shops were shut and a heavy traffic jam stretching up to five kilometres was reported on the highway.

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Protestors punctured tires and severed diesel pipes

Due to the RTC workers' strike, the RTC buses were being run by private drivers. The protestors punctured the tires and severed the diesel pipes of the buses run by private drivers. Over 48,000 RTC employees along with activists, leaders of the opposition parties, trade unions, teachers and workers have joined the protest against what they call 'dictatorial' attitude of Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao. The state-wide bandh has been called by the RTC employees and joint action committee (JAC) of various unions. The protesters are asking the state government to fulfill the demands of the RTC workers.

Several politicians, people union leaders, and student union leaders were taken into preventive custody by the Telangana Government in order to avoid any further untoward incident.

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Committee to hold talks with RTC protesting workers

The shutdown has affected the normal life in Hyderabad. Adding to the woes of the commuters, the Ola and Uber cab drivers have also gone on an indefinite strike from Saturday to press their demands of regularising the cab aggregator market. Nearly 50,000 cabs have gone off the roads as claimed by the drivers' association.

READ | Telangana HC directs State Govt, TSRTC employees to resolve issues

The Telangana High court has insisted the RTC to hold talks with its protesting employees and had also directed the state government and the protestors to settle all disputes before October 28. Lawyers of the government had earlier ruled out the possibility of any negotiation, but the High Court had directed the government to pay heed to the protesters and negotiate since half of the demands do not have any financial obligation. According to sources, now the state government is in the process of forming a committee to hold talks with the RTC workers as per the directions of the high court.

(With ANI inputs)

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