Dharnas, demonstrations, formation of long human chains, road blockades and burning of effigies of the Central Government and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi marked the birthday of Ms. Gandhi in the Seemandhra region on Monday.
The protests were staged in line with a call the Samaikyandhra Parirakshana Vedika to observe the Congress president’s birthday as “betrayal day ”. While there was total shutdown in Anantapur district following a bandh call, normal life was disrupted in many places in Seemandhra region with transport and other services taking a hit.
Black day was observed in several places in protest against the Central Government’s decision to bifurcate the State.
Effigies burntThe effigies of Ms. Gandhi and the Central Government were burnt by supporters of united State in Chittoor, East Godavari and other districts. Doctors and staff of hospitals boycotted work and staged protests in Visakhapatnam and they were joined by students who formed human chains.
Police arrested Samaikya Parirakshana Vedika leaders including P. Ashok Babu and others when they staged a silent protest in front of Telugu Thalli statue near the Secretariat. Students took out a massive rally in Guntur waving black flags and raising slogans against the Congress leadership for its decision to divide the Telugu people. Representatives of different joint action committees and the TDP leaders who joined them raised slogans against bifurcation. The rally later culminated into a human chain.
Students of engineering colleges led the rasta roko conducted in Kadapa district and blocked movement of vehicles on Kadapa-Hyderabad highway for over two hours.
Protestors in Kurnool staged demonstrations in front of banks and other Central Government establishments disrupting the work. They asserted that similar protests would continue for the next two days and asserted that the Congress would pay a heavy price for its “misdeeds”.
