Silent protests by the Joint Action Committee members of educational institutions marked a tense day during which Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly adopted a resolution moved by Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy rejecting the AP Reorganisation Bill.
Chairman of Vignan Educational Institutions, Lavu Rathaiah, who is spearheading the three-day agitation, led the protest in front of residence of Minister for Agriculture Kanna Lakshminarayana, Rural Development Minister Dokka Manikya Vara Prasada Rao and other MLAs.
Addressing the students, Dr. Rathaiah said that bifurcation of the State would be detrimental to the interests of students as those from Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema region would lose out employment opportunities in Hyderabad, which accounts for 70-80 per cent of IT firms.
Meanwhile, Telugu Desam supporters who enforced a bandh protesting ‘T’ Bill later celebrated the occasion by distributing sweets.
Party general secretary Mannam Subba Rao led the celebrations in the party office.
A bandh was also enforced by Telugu Desam as the debate on draft A.P Reorganisation Bill-2013 came to an end.
Educational institutions, banks remained closed for the day. The protesters staged a rasta roko at Chilakaluripet town and stopped buses for some time. Rallies were also taken at Guntur, Mangalagiri, Narasaraopet.
