Hunger strikes by various organisations, rallies, dharnas and holding up of traffic continued on Wednesday also as the people’s movement for keeping the State united gained momentum.
Private buses coming into the city were stopped by Samaikyandhra protesters at Lankelapalem toll gate from 7.30 a.m. for about five hours after which they were allowed to proceed. The passengers of these buses had a harrowing experience and many had to walk for a long distance with their luggage as autorickshaws were also stopped at some places.
Air travellers going to the airport also had a tough time due to ‘rasta roko’ agitations at some places. Some passengers who went to the airport took the Port Connectivity Road from the convent junction to avoid traffic disruptions on the highway on Wednesday morning. At Sheelanagar junction, their car was stopped and they were detained for sometime but they managed to catch their flight.
Simha Garjana
A Samaikyandhra Simha Garjana was held in the evening in which MLAs Mottamsetty Srinivasa Rao and Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu and leaders of various parties Vamsikrishna Srinivas, Chokkakula Venkata Rao and G.V. Ravi Raju (YSRC), Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar (TDP), Beesetty Babji (Lok Satta), Samaikyandhra Student JAC leaders Lagudu Govinda Rao and Areti Mahesh and revolutionary ballad singer Vangapandu Prasada Rao spoke.
Mr. Srinivasa Rao and Mr. Ramakrishna Babu said all the 175 MLA s from Seemandhra would stall the bill, if it came up in the Assembly and the 25 MPs from the region would do their bit in Parliament.
A relay hunger camp was inaugurated by Bheemunipatnam MLA M. Srinivasa Rao at Tagarapuvalasa on Wednesday. Around 20 Congress activists participated in the programme. A motorcycle rally was also take out with 700 bikes covering various villages and a ‘vanta varpu’ programme was held on the highway at Madhurawada to protest against bifurcation of the State.
Some schools declared a holiday on Wednesday also anticipating trouble.
Government offices reported thin attendance as the employees are on strike in response to the call given by the AP NGOs Association. The roads in the city looked comparatively empty with RTC buses confined to the depots on Wednesday also.
Government Whip Dronamraju Srinivas cleansed the statue of Indira Gandhi with milk in support of Samaikyandhra movement. He demanded reversal of the decision on division of the State. A motorcycle rally was organised under the leadership of TDP leader Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar from Jagadamba junction to Maddilapalem. Lawyers continued their relay hunger strike in front of the District Court on Wednesday also.
A dharna was held opposite the KGH Main Gate by doctors, nurses, class-IV employees of KGH and representatives of Indian Medical Association. Government Doctors’ Association president B. Uday Kumar and State executive member P. Shyam Sundar said the agitation would continue till the government reversed its decision on division of the State.
