The bandh called by Samaikyandhra Rashtra Parirakshana Samiti and AP-NGOs’ Association on Friday in protest against bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh passed off peacefully but it evoked mixed response.
Its impact was conspicuous only at the RTC bus stations and depots where the agitators prevented the vehicles from going out.
Some Central Government offices and banks downed their shutters. Most of the educational institutions also remained non-functional, however, many of the banks and shops remained open.
The situation was otherwise pretty normal as a good number of business establishments in Governorpet and on the M.G and Karl Marx Roads were open and people had no difficulty in moving out as there were only token protests in the morning.
A large number of police personnel and paramilitary forces were deployed at important places and luckily there was no untoward incident.
School and college students took to the streets in a sizable number protesting against bifurcation and a large number of activists of TDP and YSR Congress (YSRC) went around the city protesting against bifurcation.
Leading the activists of their respective parties, Machilipatnam MP Konakalla Narayana Rao and Vijayawada Parliamentary constituency in-charge Kesineni Srinivas (both from TDP) and P. Gowtham Reddy (YSRC) said bifurcation of the State was an audacious move of the Congress, which was apparently looking to derive political mileage out of it even as the majority population were worried with their fate.
Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her coterie were, however, least bothered with the consequences of bifurcation which is being done in such a brazen manner that it came in for sharp criticism by experts in different fields, they said.
The height of it was moving the A.P State Reorganisation Bill in the Assembly without clearing the people’s apprehensions.
AP-NGOs’ Association leader A. Vidya Sagar expressed regret that the Central government is still not concerned with the plight of people Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema whose problems were highlighted in ample detail.
The agitation would be intensified in the days ahead if the formation of Telangana State is not kept on the backburner, the protestors warned.
Poor response in GunturThe bandh call given by YSR Congress and Telugu Desam evoked a poor response from the public in Guntur.
Members of APNGO, who have been active in ‘Samaikyandhra’ agitations a few days ago, were not seen at many places. The impact of bandh was minimal at government offices.
All the shops, cinema theatres, many of the banks, hotels and other establishments were kept open. However, schools and colleges declared holiday in view of the bandh.
Activists of TDP and YSRC took out rallies on the main roads and staged protests at traffic junctions raising slogans protesting ‘discussion on separate statehood for Telangana’ in the Assembly.
The protestors carrying banners and placards staged a sit-in at the RTC Bus Station Complex, Shankar Vilas Centre and other places and urged the Centre to keep the State united. The agitators registered their protests at Bapatla, Tenali, Narsaraopet, Sattenapalli and organised ‘rasta rokos’ at several places in the district.
Police arranged tight security for the bandh. Additional forces have been deployed at vulnerable points to prevent any untoward incident.
