Bundh paralyses life in Andhra

The bundh, observed on the eve of the crucial talks between the Centre and eight political parties in Delhi on Tuesday, was aimed at sending a message to the Centre that a majority of people were against bifurcation.

The all party Joint Action Committee that is supporting a unified state has also called for a ‘rasta roko’ on Tuesday in Andhra and Rayalaseema regions.  However, Telangana JAC too has decided to organise a ‘rasta roko’ on Tuesday to press for statehood. 
Normal life came to a standstill as schools, colleges, shops and other business establishments remained closed across the 13 districts. The Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation suspended its services in the two regions. However, the bundh was not observed in Chittoor district and the buses going to Tirumala remained unaffected.

In Kurnool and Vijayawada, protesters clashed with the police. Former Mayor of Vijayawada Mallika Begum and others were taken into police custody. In Kurnool, TDP MLA K E Krishnamurthy was arrested after his followers clashed with the police as they were trying to stop political workers from forcing shopkeepers to down their shutters. In Visakhapatam, the police provided additional security to IT companies as a precautionary measure.