The bandh call given by the YSR Congress Party to press for the Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh evoked mixed response on Tuesday. The bandh was partial following the virtual clampdown on protesters with pre-dawn arrests of party leaders at many places. Police were deployed in good numbers at strategic locations.
Buses stop plying
RTC buses were virtually off the roads by noon, though they plied in the morning hours in Vijayawada.
Most shops and establishments on the busy Bandar, Eluru and Besant Roads in Vijayawada were closed. So were banks and financial institutions on the main roads. But those located in interior places worked as usual. While some private schools declared a holiday in advance, some others remained open.
The response in Visakhapatnam turned out to be lukewarm. Tension prevailed at several places of Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts with the arrest of some YSRCP leaders, who tried to stop the movement of RTC buses and other vehicles.
The call evoked a mixed response in Prakasam district too. There were minor skirmishes at some places as agitators tried to defy prohibitory orders and went around the town to enforce the bandh.
