Hyderabad, Dec 29 : Hyderabad Police Commissioner Prasad Rao on Tuesday warned that he would initiate action against those indulging in violence during the proposed shutdown called by the Telangana supporters and Osmania University students.

Addressing the media here, Rao said as a precautionary measure, additional police personnel will be deployed during the shut down which is to be observed on Wednesday in the Telangana region.

Hyderabad, Dec 29 : The Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Committee (PMEAC) chairman, C Rangarajan, said here on Tuesday that country’s economy will grow between 7 to 7.75 percent during the current fiscal despite poor performance of the agriculture sector on account of drought and floods.

Addressing the students of College of Defence Management here, Rangarajan said: "The economy will grow between 7 and 7.5 percent overall but agricultural growth may fall by 1 to 2 percent.”

Hyderabad, Dec 29 : Telangana leaders cut across party lines Tuesday in condemning former Andhra Pradesh governor N. D. Tiwari who had accused people associated with the Telangana statehood agitation of having framed him in an alleged sex scandal.

Leaders of Congress, Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) rubbished Tiwari's claim and said they suspected a political conspiracy behind his allegations.

Hyderabad, Dec 29 : Police in Hyderabad Tuesday tightened security and imposed prohibitory orders in view of the Telangana shutdown called by all-party Joint Action Committee demanding statehood to the region.

Security in and around the city has been tightened with the deployment of additional police and paramilitary forces, with special focus on areas with large concentration of people from Andhra region. There have been apprehensions that clashes may break out between them and the proponents of Telangana.

Hyderabad, Dec 29 : Notwithstanding an assurance from Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee that the Centre would soon take a firm decision on the Telangana statehood issue, ministers belonging to the Telangana region have refuted suggestions that they will withdraw their resignations. They have asked the UPA Government at the Centre to come out with a definite time frame for the formation of the Telangana state.

Hyderabad, Dec 29 : R. R Girish, Director General of Police (DGP), Andhra Pradesh has said the police is dealing with the Telangana state-related law and order crisis with utmost restraint and impartiality.

Talking to reporters here on Monday, Girish said: "I would like to emphasize that police officers, including the IPS, we owe allegiance to the Constitution and the rule of law and nothing else, certainly it would be our endeavour to act with impartiality without any bias and would be neutral no matter what happens."

Hyderabad, Dec 28 : The confrontation between students and police is expected to increase here later in the day, with the latter forcibly removing fasting students to a hospital on Monday morning.

During the past month, the Osmania University campus has emerged as the main centre for demands related to a separate Telangana state.

New Delhi/Hyderabad, Dec 28 : Former Andhra Pradesh governor Narayan Dutt Tiwari, who was forced to resign after allegations of his involvement in a sex romp in Raj Bhawan, has made a quiet exit from Hyderabad, but his final destination was still unknown.

"He left for Delhi Sunday but will not be staying there. He is expected to travel to either Lucknow or Nainital. At this point, he would like to remain incognito," a Congress party source told IANS.

Hyderabad, Dec 28 - Shia Muslims in this historic city Monday observed "Yaum-e-Ashura" or 10th day of Muslim month Muharram by taking out the traditional "tazia" (mourning) procession.

It was all black and blood as a mood of mourning pervades through the old city of Hyderabad. Cries of "Ya Hussain" rent the air as blood oozed out of the heads and chests of the bare-chest Shia mourners in the mammoth procession, known as 'Bibi ka alam'.

Hyderabad, Dec 28 : Chhattisgarh Governor E. S. L. Narasimhan was today sworn-in as the Governor of Andhra Pradesh following the resignation of N. D. Tiwari in the wake of a controversy over a sex scandal allegedly involving the latter.

Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court A. R. Dave administered oath of office to Narasimhan at the Raj Bhavan here.

State Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, his cabinet colleagues, Chief Secretary Ramakanth Reddy and other top officials attended the ceremony.

Hyderabad, Dec 28 - Tension prevailed at Osmania University here as a group of students Monday launched a fast unto death, hours after some of their colleagues on hunger strike were shifted to a hospital by the police.

A large number of policemen in riot gear surrounded the Arts College building on the campus to arrest the students on hunger strike. Raising slogans of "police go back", the students squatted on the ground and refused to leave the campus despite the university authorities closing down all hostels and messes.

Hyderabad, Dec 28 - Chhattisgarh Governor E. S. L. Narasimhan Monday took additional charge as the governor of Andhra Pradesh following the resignation of N. D. Tiwari.

Chief Justice of Andhra Pradesh High Court A. R. Dave administered the oath of office to Narasimhan at Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the governor.

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah, his cabinet colleagues, leaders of various parties, Chief Secretary Ramakanth Reddy and other top officials attended the simple ceremony.

Hyderabad, Dec 26 : Jharkhand Governor K. Sankaranarayanan will hold additional charge of Andhra Pradesh following the resignation of N. D. Tiwari over his alleged involvement in a sex scandal.

Sources at Raj Bhavan said President Pratibha Patil has accepted Tiwari's resignation and asked the Jharkhand governor to hold the additional charge.

Tiwari faxed his resignation letter to the president saying he was quitting on health grounds.

Tiwari, who was sworn in as governor Aug 22, 2007, would be leaving Hyderabad Sunday.

Hyderabad, Dec 26 : Telugu Desam Party (TDP) president N. Chandrababu Naidu Saturday demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the sex scandal allegedly involving outgoing Andhra Pradesh Governor N. D. Tiwari.

Talking to reporters after Tiwari's resignation, Naidu said since there were allegations of some MPs being also involved in the scandal, the central government should order a CBI inquiry.    

Naidu said this was the first time in the country that a state governor had to resign on allegations of involvement in a sex scandal.    

Hyderabad, Dec 26 : ABN Telugu news channel, which exposed the sex scandal allegedly involving Andhra Pradesh Governor N. D. Tiwari, has termed his resignation as a "victory of the moral values".

"It is the victory of moral values. It shows how the moral values are still dear to the people," said V. Radhakrishna, managing director of Andhra Jyothi, the Telugu daily which owns the channel.

Radhakrishna told IANS that he decided to go ahead with the airing of the tapes the moment he was convinced of their veracity. He said he was not afraid of the consequences though the scandal involved a constitutional head.

Hyderabad, Dec 26 : Andhra Pradesh Governor Narayan Dutt Tiwari resigned from his post on Saturday owing to health reasons.

Tiwari sent his resignation letter to President Pratinbha Patil.

On Friday, Tiwari became centre of controversy after a regional channel broadcast some footage showing him in compromising positions with women.

The major controversy made Congress party to face lot of embarrassment due to his long association with the party.

Hyderabad, Dec 26 : Andhra Pradesh Governor N. D. Tiwari resigned Saturday citing "health grounds" after allegations of his involvement in a sex scandal.

The 86-year-old Tiwari submitted his resignation to the president, official sources said.

The state government had also sent a report on the alleged scandal to the union home ministry.

ABN channel owned by Telugu daily Andhra Jyothi Friday showed explicit clippings purported to be of Tiwari involved in a sex romp. It claimed that the pictures were taken in the Raj Bhavan.(IANS)

Hyderabad, Dec 26 : Telangana Rashtriya Samithi (TRS) President K. Chandrasekhar Rao has asked the Central Government to announce the commencement of the process for carving out a Telangana state by Monday.

Speaking at the Telangana Joint Action Committee meeting here last evening, Rao said: "The Central Government to announce the commencement of process for carving out Telangana state by Monday. If the Centre does not respond to our demand, indefinite shutdown will be called there after.

Hyderabad, Dec 26 - Women's groups staged protests near the Raj Bhavan here Saturday demanding that Andhra Pradesh Governor N. D. Tiwari resign over his alleged involvement in a "sex scandal", an allegation he has denied and termed "malicious".

Holding placards and raising slogans against the governor, activists of various groups tried to march towards Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the governor, but were prevented by the police.

Protesters were arrested as they squatted on the busy Khairatabad crossroads.

Hyderabad, Dec 26 - Rallies, hunger strikes and demonstrations continued for the fourth consecutive day Saturday in Andhra Pradesh's Telangana region, where the demand for a separate state keeps gaining momentum.

Protests were held by activists of all political parties, students, lawyers and other sections of society in the region comprising 10 districts, including Hyderabad.