Bus services across Telangana, including Hyderabad, were severely disrupted on Saturday as the BC Bandh, organised by the BC Ikya Vedika, brought public transport and daily life to a halt. The protest, demanding equitable reservation for Backward Classes (BCs), saw widespread participation from political parties, community organizations, and student unions. Essential services remained largely operational, but most other sectors observed the bandh in solidarity.
Hyderabad Comes To Standstill
In Hyderabad, Telangana State Road Transport Corporation (TSRTC) buses were immobilized at depots, with exits blocked by protestors at key locations such as Uppal and Chengicherla. Similar scenes were reported in districts including united Warangal, Mahbubnagar, Nizamabad and Vikarabad, where BC associations staged demonstrations at RTC depots, effectively paralyzing public transport, as per Telangana Today. Commuters were left stranded and private cab operators reportedly charged inflated fares. Some incidents of vandalism and forced closures were also reported in parts of the city.
The bandh was organized in response to the Telangana High Court’s interim stay on the state government’s October 9 order granting 42% BC reservation in local body elections. Leaders and activists from various parties, including Congress, BJP, and BRS, staged dharnas at TSRTC depots to prevent buses from operating. BJP MP Etala Rajender joined protestors at the Jubilee Bus Station in Hyderabad.
#WATCH | Hyderabad, Telangana | Congress participates in a state-wide ‘Bandh’ called by BC JAC demanding 42% reservation for BCs in Telangana pic.twitter.com/PlF1c4Fyy6
— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2025
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The demonstration received backing from a wide range of political and social groups, including Congress, BJP, BRS, CPI, CPM, TJS, CPI(ML) New Democracy, MRPS, Mala Mahanadu, Adivasi and Girijana organizations, minority groups, and student unions, reported Deccan Chronicle.
Telangana Director General of Police Shivadhar Reddy urged protestors to maintain peace and avoid public inconvenience. Despite the large-scale disruption, the demonstrations were largely non-violent.
Adding momentum to the protest, Aditya, son of Telangana Jagruthi President K. Kavitha, participated in a human chain at Khairatabad, while Congress leader V. Hanumantha Rao reaffirmed the party’s commitment to social justice, highlighting plans for a caste-based census as advocated by Rahul Gandhi.
