Citizens wait for alternative transport option to travel home for Deepawali in Hyderabad
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.
Auto drivers are charging as high as Rs 500 for trips from LB Nagar to Chilakalaguda. When confronted, the drivers remained unfazed.
Gold shops, mainly owned by the Marwari community, in Hyderabad suffered a minor economic setback on Dhanteras day after demonstrators of Telangana Bandh entered and ordered them to. However, they soon reopened, Abids police told Siasat.com.
Sources also mentioned that shops in the Moazzam Jahi Market, including Haldirams, were closed down when the BC leaders’ rally passed from the area, but were soon reopened.
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.
In Osmania University, tiffin shops were attacked by angry protestors. In one video, a protestor questions the stall owners’ motives, saying, “This bandh is being called for your welfare and here you are trying to make business. How many times do we need to tell you?”
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.
(The copy has been updated with the latest information on gold shops targeted during Telangana Bandh)
This post was last modified on October 18, 2025 5:22 pm