Normal life got paralysed in the city for the second day in response to the 48-hour bandh call given by the Krishna District Samaikyandhra JAC on Thursday. All business establishments, banks, central government offices, theatres, malls and education institutions remained closed for the second consecutive day.
Auto-rickshaw owners and drivers’ union implemented the bandh by stopping autos and other small vehicles that carried passengers.
Auto-rickshaw union members along with APNGOs stopped incoming autos carrying passengers mainly at Ramavarapadu circle, Kanakadurgamma Varadhi, Prakasam barrage and at other entry points into the city. The passengers in the autos were made to alight and had to enter the city on foot. The NGOs went around on two-wheelers to implement the bandh.
Members of the Samaikyandhra Student JAC led by convenor Devineni Avinash went around on bicycles to implement the bandh. While most of the citizens downed the shutters of their establishment voluntarily the few that stayed opened closed when the activists requested them.
Massive rally
The owners of various types of units in Autonagar along with the technicians and others that work in them took out a massive rally with motorised two-wheelers under the leadership of their leaders Rajanala Babji and Guntupalli Nageswara Rao. The owners and drivers of cranes also participated in the rally in which over 10,000 people participated.
The most fervent cry against the division of the State came from several visually challenged youth and men who staged a dharna in front of the Panchayat Raj Office.
Seek divine intervention
The Vijayawada Teachers JAC members held multi-faith prayers and asked the almight to ensure that the state was not divided at different centres. Staff and employees went in a procession from the N.S.M.Public School to the Kanakadurga Temple on top of the Indrakeeladri hill and gave a respresentation to the Goddess to prevail on the various leaders that were demanding the division of the State.
