Bandh total, peaceful

Vijayawada: The nation-wide bandh called by the Congress in protest against the steep hike in the prices of petrol and diesel was near total and passed off peacefully in the state on Monday.

Till afternoon, transportation was affected with the APSRTC withdrawing its bus services. Banks and commercial establishments remained closed till noon. Cinema houses cancelled morning shows in Vijayawada, Vizag, Guntur, Tirupati and other cities.

The government offices however worked normally albeit with thin attendance. Policemen were posted in strength at the important junctions in the cities and towns to prevent breakdown of law and order. The police arrested scores of agitators and leaders.

In Vijayawada, the Left parties, Congress and Jana Sena jointly staged a dharna in front of the Pandit Nehru bus station, Lenin centre and elsewhere. The angry party activists holding placards and banners raised slogans against the BJP government.

PCC chief N Raghuveera Reddy participated in the protests in Vijayawada. He boarded a bullock cart near the Congress party office as part of the protest to drive home the point that people would have to depend on the bullock carts henceforth due to rise of petrol and diesel prices. He lashed out at the BJP government holding it responsible for the rise in the prices.

Almost all private educational institutions in Vijayawada and other parts of Krishna district declared holiday on Monday. Attendance in private offices was very low and trading activity in the busy one town area was very dull due to cancellation of RTC services.

In Guntur, bandh was near total. Trading activity was affected. Many shops in the commercial areas like Brodipet, Lakshmipuram and Arundelpet remained closed. CPI state secretary K Rama Krishna and CPM district secretary Pasam Rama Rao staged protests at the NTR Bus Station. Private educational institutions were closed but APSRTC operated bus services as usual.

In Prakasam district, there was poor response from the people to the bandh. Political parties asked the people to extend support for the bandh. Congress party leaders including the DCC president Eda Sudhakar Reddy and leaders of CPI, CPM, Jana Sena protested in front of the RTC Depot in the early morning and blocked the traffic demanding the Union government to reduce the prices of fuel.

In Vizag city and other parts of Visakhapatnam district, there was good response to the bandh. All educational institutions, majority commercial establishments and private offices remained closed. Meanwhile, the movie theatres also canceled morning shows.

As some unions of APSRTC supported the bandh, all major markets remained closed in the city. There is a very less attendance at the government offices and banks. As information about the bandh call is known before hand, people suspended their daily activities till afternoon. Bandh call given by the Congress and other parties evoked poor response in Srikakulam district.

In Rayalaseema districts of Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool and Anantapur there was a partial response to the bandh. The Congress, Left parties and Jana Sena staged protests at various places particularly in front the RTC bus depots and other public places.

There was not much impact on the normal life as most traders opened the shops. In Tirupati, the activists of Opposition parties staged a protest in front of the APSRCT central bus station.