The bandh call given by YSR Congress Party, to protest against the arrest of its leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy by the CBI, evoked poor response in the city on Monday.
RTC buses, autorickshaws and other transport vehicles plied normally. Most of the shops and business establishments in the city functioned as usual. The bandh was peaceful as no untoward incidents were received from any part of the city till late in the evening.
YSRCP activists took out a rally from Maddilapalem to the Gandhi statue at Asilametta. On the way when some party activists tried to force the closure of shops they were prevented from doing so by the police.
At some places, the party workers tried to stop RTC buses but gave up after the police intervened. Some shops downed their shutters as they saw the party workers approaching but re-opened their shops after they left.
A youth, who was reportedly in an inebriated condition, climbed a cell tower located atop a shopping complex near Sankara Matham in the evening. Passers-by stopped and tried to make him see reason but he seemed to be in no mood to listen. He removed his chappal and threw it down and later danced on one leg atop the tower giving tense moments to those who gathered on the road below.
A cameraman climbed the building and managed to catch him ending the drama. Srinivasa Rao, a labourer, climbed the tower as he was reportedly upset with the arrest of Jagan.In another incident, five students of Andhra University were taken into custody as they climbed the Central Administrative Office building and threatened to jump. They were overpowered by the police and arrested.
