Hyderabad: After the Telangana High Court directing the Government and TSRTC Unions to engage in talks on Tuesday, support for the Strike is increasing from various quarters.

National leaders of the All India Road Transport Coordination Committee Convenor , KK Divakaran and An Bhajigan, and other national leaders expressed their support for the strike. Telangana State JAC convener Ashwathama Reddy thanked the national union leaders. Aswathama Reddy later said that the strike which had entered the 12th requested the agitating workers not to fall into the government trap.

He also mentioned that the Governor Tamilasai Sounderarajan had spoken to them and also asked about the assets owned by the RTC. Speaking to the media KK Divakaran said that the strike was being carried out in a democratic manner and that apart from the public support we will extend our support.

"We have decided to launch a nationwide protest in solidarity with the bandh, which will be held on the 19th of this month," he said. Divakaran said that if the Government does not respond to the bandh, they will announce its further course of action later.

Meanwhile the Telangana Employees Association (TEA) has also backed the RTC strike. Several leaders including T JAC convenor Ashwathama Reddy at the TEA office in Hyderabad, joined the leaders of the strike and requested them to join and support the protest.

Against this backdrop, the TEA leaders announced that they would support the workers' strike. Telangana Employees Association president Sampath Kumar Swamy said that it was very unfortunate that two RTC workers committed suicide. He gave a call for fighting for rights through protests rather than taking such drastic steps by committing suicide.

Speaking further Sampath Kumar said that the strike would be further intensified with other trade unions and teachers' unions joining the protest. He appealed to all of them to cooperate and join the Bandh on the 19th of this month.

Since the strike began, two employees have ended their lives and three attempted suicide.

Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao had ruled out talks with the employees or taking them back, terming the agitation as "illegal".

Also Read: TSRTC Strike Intensifies After The Death of Two Employees