Rallies, formation of human chains, dharnas, blocking traffic on the National Highway and other forms of protests against the decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh continued in the city and district on Friday.
Agitators held up Tirumala Express at Elamanchili for some time while rallies were taken out demanding resignation of Tribal Welfare Minister P. Balaraju at Chintapalli, Paderu and Narsipatnam. At Paderu, police used force to disperse agitators when they tried to picket Mr. Balaraju’s camp office. At Narsipatnam, local advocates and students separately tried to lay siege to Mr. Balaraju’s house. Employees of the Sileru hydroelectric power project staged a demonstration demanding that the Government not divide lower Sileru and upper Sileru among Telangana and AP but keep both in the AP.
At Anakapalle, a statue of Rajiv Gandhi was reportedly damaged while students and advocates staged demonstrations and took out processions in the town. A rally was taken out in Chodavaram.
At the Maddilapalem RTC bus station in the city, the RTC employees affiliated to NMU conducted a Vanta-Vaarpu programme after boycotting their duties, a few hundred members of Chaitanya Mahila organisation took out a rally up to Gandhiji statue, students took out rallies in different parts of the city and also at Dakamarri while Muslims and Sikhs organised a blocked the traffic on the NH at Madhurawada for some time.
Agitators stopped the oil tankers at Malkapuram for some time. Indefinite fast by leaders of Samaikyandhra Students JAC at Andhra University continued for the third day and leaders of several parties called on the fasting students and expressed their solidarity. First MP of Anakapalle K.S. Tilak sent a message to the agitators expressing his solidarity and strong opposition to the bifurcation of the State. The AU Employees Union staged a demonstration near the Central Administrative Office.
Students of GITAM University and some other educational institutions came in a procession to express their solidarity to the fasting leaders of JAC. Advocates who are boycotting court work took out a rally. The Telugu Desam took out a motorcycle rally on AU campus while the party’s city unit held a demonstration at Jagadamba Junction and Maddilapalem. EPDCL JAC staged a Vanta-Vaarpu programme in front of the EPDCL corporate office. A statue of Rajiv Gandhi was allegedly disfigured at Akkayyapalem.
Members of the Government Doctors’ Association, IMA and AP Nursing Homes and Hospitals Association, members of the AP Nursing Association, NGOs Association and medical employees association staged a dharna in front of the KGH main gate.
On Friday, Government Whip Dronamraju Srinivasa Rao resigned from the post of Whip and as MLA. Telugu Desam MLAs G. Ramanaidu and Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu have also resigned.
Rajya Sabha Member T. Subbarami Reddy in a statement said that the bifurcation of the State was painful and assured that he would try to stop the bifurcation.
Telugu Mahila
Telugu Mahila workers on Friday evening staged a candlelight protest wearing black at the Mahatma Gandhi statue in support of united Andhra Pradesh. Telugu Mahila district president A. Vani said Congress divided the State with a view on elections and with the sole aim of making Rahul Gandhi Prime Minister. If the move to divide the State was not taken back, the State would turn into a scene of intense agitation.
