The State bandh call given by the Opposition parties, demanding justice to A.P. as per the provisions of the State Reorganisation Act, evoked mixed response in Chittoor district while it was near total in Anantapur district.
In Tirupati, the shutdown was total and peaceful. Even as schools and colleges remained closed, traders and commercial establishments downed their shutters voluntarily. Visiting devotees had to face hardship as the APSRTC buses stayed off the road and long distance services remained suspended. As is the practice during such bandhs, buses were allowed to ply only on the Tirumala ghat road.
District headquarters town Chittoor witnessed partial response while it had little impact in the Chittoor and Madanapalle revenue divisions.
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Interestingly, the YSR Congress cadres stayed away from bandh in Kuppam. Inter-State private buses towards Tamil Nadu and Karnataka from Kuppam functioned normally.
Altercation
In Anantapur, civic life was stalled across the district. Activists of all political parties, except the Janasena, visited advocate Bada Narayana Reddy, who has been staging a fast demanding location of High Court in Rayalaseema, and expressed solidarity with him.
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With the TDP deciding to join the bandh a little late, its cadre scrambled to arrange placards and banners with slogans pertaining to specific issues such as ‘Aid for Amaravati’, railway zone etc.
Minister Paritala Sunita and other leaders staged protests.
In Penukonda town, an altercation ensued between the TDP and opposing activists, which was defused by the police.