A day-long ‘maha dharna’ organised here on Wednesday by APNGOs Association and Samikya Rashtra Parirakshana Vedika (SRPV) opposing State’s division asked Seemandhra MLAs and MPs to get ready for a battle against bifurcation in Delhi.
The protest, however, disrupted normal life badly with the police imposing restrictions on the movement of vehicular traffic not only around Indira Park, the protest site, but also in other parts of the city. Residents of the localities in the vicinity of the protest site were put to further hardships as all the by-lanes leading to the venue were blocked with barricades and concertina fencing.
People coming to the city from other parts also suffered badly as the buses were not allowed beyond the outer cordon bus-stations -- MGBS, JBS, Lingampally and Mehdipatnam. Even the city bus services were not allowed in routes around the protest site and were diverted piling upon the civilians’ woes.
The measures were taken as precautions to prevent untoward incidents as the State Legislature is in session. The dharna attended by several MLAs and MPs of Congress and TDP from Seemandhra region, including Ministers, vowed to keep the State united at any cost. The YSR Congress kept away from the protest.
APNGOs’ president P. Ashok Babu said the unity among Seemandhra leaders was a good sign for united AP movement and requested them to continue it in Assembly, Parliament and streets of Delhi, where a protest would be held in the coming days. Vijayawada MP Lagadapati Rajagopal said they would not allow the Centre to bifurcate the State under any circumstances. They would stage a massive dharna in Delhi during Parliament session from February 5 to 22 to press for keeping the State united.
A Telangana activist later pulled Mr. Rajagopal down from the dais but the police wasted no time in taking away the intruder.
Later, another person, who raised Telangana slogan in front of the dais, was also taken away by the cops.
