Telangana stir continues; shutdown hits life in AP districts
Relay hunger strikes, road blockades and demonstrations in support of a united Andhra Pradesh continued for the tenth consecutive day today in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions of the state even as a 48-hour bandh was being observed in many districts in these regions.
The second day of the bandh observed in Krishna district, West and East Godavari districts, Guntur, Anantapur and other districts in both the regions, remained peaceful, police said.
However, protests broke out in Vijayawada city of Krishna district after Congress MP Lagadapati Rajagopal, who is on a indefinite fast for a unified Andhra Pradesh, was forcibly shifted to a hospital by police this morning.
Raising anti-Telangana slogans, Joint Action Committee (JAC) agitators and scores of Congress workers led by two former ministers M Budhaprasad and D Rajasekhar (Nehru) resorted to road blockades in different parts of the city and on NH-5 disrupting vehicular movement.
Vijayawada City Commissioner of Police Rajendranath Reddy told PTI that traffic was diverted at several places and banks remained closed while a few ATMs were functioning.
"The bandh is peaceful and the situation is under control," Reddy said.
The situation in Anantapur district which witnessed widespread protests with destruction of public properties and violent clashes between students and police few days ago, was peaceful, a senior police officer said.
Protesters are observing a 48-hour bandh in Anantapur, but no untoward incident has been reported so far, District Superintendent of Police M K Singh said.
Students in the Sri Krishnadevaraya University (SKU), Anantapur and Andhra University (AU), Vishakapatnam continued with their relay and indefinite fasts in support of 'Samaikya Andhra Pradesh' (United Andhra Pradesh).
Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi also visited the hunger strike camps in Gajuwaka and expressed his solidarity with the fasting students.
Business establishments, shops and educational institutions remained closed in Guntur, West Godavari and East Godavari districts with APSRTC suspending bus services.
A heavy deployment of police force was made and pickets were set up in vital installations in Kakinada town of East Godavari district while Congress, TDP, Praja Rajyam leaders and their supporters were continuing their relay hunger strikes in different places.
At some places in Guntur district students and activists of various organisations forcibly closed shops and tried to enforce a shutdown by asking motorists to move off the roads.
