Washington: The US on Thursday issued a travel alert for its citizens to avoid travelling to Andhra Pradesh, in particular its Telangana region, anticipating civic unrest during a victory march by the TRS party after their demand for a separate state was conceded.
"A demonstration is planned for December 10, and there is the potential that episodic clashes between the police and protesters will spark wider unrest in the city of Hyderabad," the State Department said in its travel alert issued.
This Travel Alert supplements the Travel Alert for India dated October 29, 2009, and expires on December 31,2009. In the wake of Telangana Rashtriya Samiti’s Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao's arrest on November 29, and his continuing hunger strike, there have been numerous reports of civil unrest, the alert noted.
"US citizens resident or travelling in Andhra Pradesh during this period are reminded to maintain a high level of security awareness at all times and avoid political rallies, demonstrations, and large crowds of any kind," the travel alert said.
The civil unrest in the region have mainly taken the form of mob action against stores and vehicles, and enforced observance of a TRS-called strike. There have also been repeated clashes between the police and protesters.
As such the State Department recommended that the US citizens defer all non-essential travel to the Telangana region of Andhra Pradesh and certain parts of Hyderabad (especially the Assembly and Secretariat, Osmania University, Panjagutta, and Ameerpet areas).
