Andhra Pradesh's 2-hour highway blockade hits vehicular traffic

VIJAYAWADA: National highways passing through Andhra Pradesh were blocked from 10 a.m to 12 noon on Thursday by leaders and activists of various political parties and people’s organisations in protest against the Centre for not granting Special Category Status (SCS) to the State and implementing provisions of the AP Reorganisation Act (APRA).

Vehicular traffic was disrupted at several places in Vijayawada, Visakhapatnam and other cities for a couple of hours due to the blockade. However, no untoward incidents were reported.
All political parties, including the ruling TDP, extended support to the highway blockade and participated in various protest programmes organised throughout the State.
Members of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) blocked NH 16 at various places between Ichapuram in Srikakulam district and Tada in Nellore district.

Similar protests were witnessed on the Hyderabad-Machilipatnam national highway, Chennai-Bangalore national highway and other highways passing through the State. Police personnel were deployed in large numbers to ensure that no untoward incidents took place. The police detained some protestors at several places and released them later in the day .

While YSRC president YS Jaganmohan Reddy, who is continuing his Praja Sankalpa Yatra in Guntur district, participated in the protest on NH 16 at Chinakakani, Jana Sena Party (JSP) chief Pawan Kalyan was conspicuous by his absence. He was reportedly in Hyderabad at the time.

Activists of Left parties, YSRC and several people’s organisations took out a huge rally demanding a separate railway zone, one of the provisions enshrined in the AP Reorganisation Act, at Maddilapalem Junction. At Gajuwaka, Maddilapalem in Visakhapatnam,  Tekkali and other places in Srikakulam district.  In Vizianagaram town,  the protestors played cricket and kabaddi on the highways to register their protest.
In Tirupati, Left parties took out a mock funeral of the NDA government.