The Cabinet nod for the State bifurcation on Thursday stirred up a series of violent protests in the city on Friday. The Samaikyandhra protesters attacked the District Congress Office, the BJP office and the Hotel Mourya Inn owned by Minister T.G. Venkatesh. The protesters also attacked the office of the BJP and set the party flags afire. Later, they damaged the office of the HDFC Life Insurance and two ATMs.
Statue desecrated
The roiling anger of the protesters against the Cabinet’s announcement was vented out in the form of violent agitations, with all things related to the Congress in the city as the targets. A group of advocates barged into the District Congress Office and ransacked furniture there. Students, who soon joined the lawyers, hurled stones, eggs and vegetables at the office. They held the Congress responsible for the ‘unprecedented crises’ in the State. Even, the statue of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in Venkata Ramana Colony was not spared. It was desecrated by unknown protesters.
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A huge mob gathered at the Mourya Inn complex, owned by Minister T.G. Venkatesh and started hurling boulders and stones into the premises. A portion of the compound wall was destroyed by the protesters. SP K. Raghurami Reddy rushed to the spot and appealed the protesters not to resort to violence. With the protesters refusing to budge, the police resorted to lathichrge to disperse the mob. A group of protesters also rushed to the house of Kotla Suryaprakasa Reddy. However, they did not cause any damage.
Meanwhile, the city resembled a battle field with protesters blocking the road, burning tyres at every nook and corner of the streets. The YSRC supporters went round the shopping complexes in the city, forcing closure in support of the Samaikyandhra cause. The protesters gave vent to their anger by shouting slogans and attacking everything that came in their way. Most of the leaders stayed indoors while the protesters spent their time on the roads. The APNGOs and others gathered at the Raj Vihar Centre in a huge number and staged a demonstration.
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