Lukewarm response to bandh

Vijayawada: Bandh call given by the YSRCP for granting of Special Category Status (SCS) to the state evoked mixed response from the people in Vijayawada and other parts of Krishna district on Tuesday. Normal life was disrupted till noon in Vijayawada city as most traders did not open the shops and commercial establishments.

The APSRTC also suspended many services till afternoon. Hundreds of YSRCP leaders and activists took part in the protests at various parts in Krishna district from early morning to noon. The leaders and functionaries were detained and shifted to various police stations. Later, they were released.

Most private educational institutions remained closed in Vijayawada and other parts of the district. There was mixed reaction from the people to the bandh. The YSRCP leaders staged a protest in front of Pandit Nehru Bus Station in the early hours and appealed the RTC staff and the passengers to support them.

There was positive response from the staff and passengers. YSRCP state official spokesperson Kolusu Parthasaradhi, state secretary Boppana Bhava Kumar, East constituency in-charge Yalamanchali Ravi, city working president Malladi Vishnu, district youth president D Anji Reddy and other leaders participated in the protest at PNB Station.

They raised slogans demanding SCS to the state. The leaders were arrested and shifted to various police stations in the city and suburbs. Parthasaradhi speaking on the occasion said that the fight was against Prime Minister Modi's speech in Parliament. He said that with the bandh there will not be any loss to the RTC, he added.

Yalamanchili Ravi said that their protest will continue till SCS is accorded to the state and justice was rendered to five crore people. He said that with police force they cannot stall the protest. Similarly, the YSRCP leaders protested at various places across the district. Machilipatnam, Avanigadda, Gudivada, Vuyyuru, Kankipadu, Nuzvid and Tiruvuru as part of the bandh. Most private educational institutions across the district remained closed as holiday was declared by the managements. By and large, the bandh was peaceful.

Guntur: The bandh call given by the YSRCP in protest against the denial of Special Category Status to the state evoked mixed response on Tuesday. MLAs Alla Rama Krishna Reddy in Tadepalli, Gopi Reddy Srinivasa Reddy in Narasaraopet town, Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy in Macherla, former MLA Mekathoti Sucharita in Guntur city and party official spokesman Ambati Ramababu in Sattenapalli were taken into preventive custody.

In the earlay hours of Tuesday, YSRCP MLA Mustafa, party Guntur city president Lella Appi Reddy, party state general secretary Kilari Roasaiah, party minority cell leader Jilani stopped the RTC buses and demanded SCS to the state and fulfil the promises made at the time of bifurcation of the state. When they stopped the RTC buses, the police took them into custody and shifted them to Nallapadu Police Station.

All the commercial establishments, petrol filling stations, cinema theatres, educational institutions and business establishments were closed. Many educational institutions declared a holiday on Tuesday in view of bandh. Police beefed up security at RTC bus stand, railway station and government offices as a precautionary measure. Speaking to the media, MLA Mustafa said that people cooperated and extended their support to bandh. Meanwhile, the YSRCP leaders took out a rally in Guntur city and enforced the bandh to register their protest.