The bandh called by the YSR Congress on Saturday in support of its demand for special category status to Andhra Pradesh was by and large peaceful across the State barring in Srikakulam district, where the party’s top leaders, including three MLAs, were arrested amid noisy protests.
Tension built up when YSRC MLAs Kalamata Venkata Ramana (Patapatnam), Kambala Jogulu (Rajam) and Viswasaraya Kalavati (Palakonda) were taken into custody.
In the morning, 2,000 activists of the YSRC, the CPI and the CPI(M) were rounded up while trying to enforce the bandh.
Senior leaders Dharmana Prasada Rao, Tammineni Sitaram, Varudu Kalyani and Reddi Shanti criticised the police decision. Movement of buses from APSRTC depots at Srikakulam, Palakonda and Tekkali was stopped and protesters raised slogans against the Union government for ignoring the legitimate demand of Andhra Pradesh.
Partial in TirupatiIn Tirupati, the bandh call evoked a mixed response. Chittoor district witnessed peaceful, incident-free demonstrations.
At the Poornakumbham circle, one of the arterial junctions in the city, YSRC leaders squatted on the road and blocked the area, raising slogans against the ‘negligent attitude’ of the Union and State governments in according special category status to Andhra Pradesh. Vehicular traffic, barring Tirumala-bound buses, came to a grinding halt at the junction for several hours.
In Ongole, YSRC Whip in Parliament Y.V. Subba Reddy, party MLAs Gottipatti Ravikumar and M. Ashok Reddy were among 206 persons taken into preventive custody in Ongole, Addanki and Giddalur.
Leading a rally of the activists of the Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti in Ongole, MRPS founder president Manda Krishna Madiga said the BJP-TDP combine would go the Congress way if it failed to keep its promise on grant of SCS for 10 years.
Kurnool district saw the bandh passing off peacefully.
Educational institutions declared a holiday and shops and business establishments closed voluntarily. APSRTC buses did not ply and autorickshaws plied partially.
In Yemmiganur, YSRC constituency in-charge Y. Jaganmohan Reddy, former market committee chairman Rudra Goud, municipal councillors Gopal Reddy and Ramakrishna and CPI (M) leaders Madanna and Yerranna were arrested.
Members of the YSRCP, along with the activists of the CPI and the CPI (M) came to the bus station in the early hours of the day and stopped movement of buses. They staged a protest in front of the bus station and raised slogans against the State government. Later in the day, the three political parties staged separate dharnas in different parts of the city and forced the managements of educational institutions, financial institutions, cinemas and filling stations to down the shutters.
Resolution soughtAt a public meeting held in front of the Collectorate, district president of the YSRCP Jyothula Nehru demanded that the State government table a resolution in the Legislative Assembly seeking special status.
