Left parties, Congress and YSR Congress staged demonstrations at several places in the district on Friday against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not announcing the special category status to Andhra Pradesh during the capital foundation ceremony.
The city police earlier in the day announced that any form of protest would not be allowed since the political parties have not obtained permission and police personnel were deployed in large numbers at several places.
When leaders and workers of the four parties started protests at different places, the police struggled hard to snatch the effigies of Mr. Modi from them before they were burnt. However, the agitators managed to burn the effigies at several places. APCC general secretary Dronamraju Srinivasa Rao and other leaders set the effigy on fire inside the office and brought it outside as City Congress Committee president Behara Bhaskara Rao was talking to reporters. Police personnel waiting outside struggled hard with Mr. Srinivasa Rao and other leaders and workers to snatch the effigy and douse the flames but the Congressmen resisted.
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At Jagadamba junction, the police took into custody CPI city president A.J. Stalin and other leaders and workers of the party as they started the protest and later CPI (M) district secretary K. Lokanadham and others were forcibly taken into custody. YSR Congress leaders staged demonstrations at different places and blocked the traffic at some places in rural areas.