The Government today celebrated the 56th AP Formation Day amid protests and hoisting of black flags by the Telangana protagonists across all Telangana districts.

Telangana political JAC activists and TRS workers hoisted black flags on government and private buildings protesting against the delay in the formation of the T state.

The protests were observed by the activists following a call given by the JAC convener Prof Kodanda Ram to treat the day as the day of betrayal and as a black day.

Almost all ministers boycotted the celebrations and only two ministers, D Nagender and Mukesh Goud, attended the main function conducted at the NTR Stadium in Hyderabad where Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy unfurled the national flag amid unprecedented police security.

District collectors unfurl national flags

District Collectors hoisted the national flags at district headquarters at the instance of the government. The Government wanted to avoid a confrontation with the protestors and directed the District Collectors to unfurl the flags in their respective districts.

In Warangal town, TRS MLA Mr Vinay Bhaskar tried to disrupt the proceedings along with his supporters when the district collector was about to hoist the national flag but police lathi charged and arrested the MLA and his supporters.

TDP rebel legislator Jogu Ramana and his supporters were arrested when they tried to disrupt the celebrations at police parade grounds in Adilabad. Local TRS leaders, accompanied by their supporters, tried to disrupt the proceedings in Khammam, Medak and other districts resulting in clashes between the T men and police.