Pro-Telangana mob dumps Andhra heroes’ statues in lake

HYDERABAD: An angry pro-Telangana mob uprooted 11 statues of Andhra icons, including that of Vijayanagara emperor Krishnadeva Raya, and flung them into the Hussain Sagar lake on Thursday, as a potential precursor to a fresh spiral of violence. The protests seemed designed to deepen linguistic and political faultlines between proand anti-Telangana sections.

Apart from hurling Krishnadeva Raya’s statue — his 16th century reign represents the high noon of Telugu culture — the protesters also smashed the statue of Sir Arthur Cotton, the British engineer who brought irrigation and prosperity to the state.

Between 1.30pm and 5.30 pm, Telangana activists also set on fire the Dwacra building on Lower Tank Bund road, a police vehicle, broadcast vans of TV channels and looted an ATM.