Bandh partial, peaceful in city

Emotive issue: YSRCP and CPI workers staging a dharna on National Highway at Maddilapalem Junction in Visakhapatnam on Monday.

Emotive issue: YSRCP and CPI workers staging a dharna on National Highway at Maddilapalem Junction in Visakhapatnam on Monday.   | Photo Credit: C.V.Subrahmanyam

Protesters squat on roads holding up traffic at busy junctions

The bandh call given by the Opposition parties demanding Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh and railway zone with headquarters in Visakhapatnam apart from other assurances given in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014, evoked mixed response in the city on Monday.

Most of the schools declared a holiday in advance to avoid inconvenience to students. Banks were forced to down their shutters and public were not allowed to go into the banks. No untoward incident was reported from any part of the city.

The bandh enforcers squatted on the National Highway at Maddilapalem, staged protests at Jagadamba junction resulting in the main roads and certain stretches of the National Highway, passing through the city, wearing a deserted look. The police diverted the traffic through arterial roads to facilitate the smooth flow of vehicles. This had, however, led to traffic jams on the bylanes.

Leaders and activists of the Left parties and the YSR Congress Party squatted on the National Highway at Maddipalem holding up traffic. The Left activists stayed put outside the Maddilapalem Depot of APSRTC and prevented buses from coming out of the city. YSRCP MP V. Vijay Sai Reddy, former MLAs Malla Vijay Prasad and Tynala Vijay Kumar, party’s district president Guidvada Amarnath went to the BSNL District General Manager’s Office and the Post Office at Dabagardens and forced their closure.

Dig at BJP, TDP

CPI(M) leaders Ganga Rao and K. Lokanadham alleged that the BJP and the TDP were indulging in ‘dramas’ to divert the attention of the people. They demanded immediate granting of SCS and railway zone.

Mr. Vijaya Sai Reddy took a dig at the TDP for agreeing to the special package announced by the Modi government and later taking ‘u’ turn on the issue and insisting on SCS.

Journalists owing allegiance to AP Union of Working Journalists and AP Working Journalists’ Federation raised slogans demanding announcement of SCS and railway zone at separate protests, organised near the Gandhi statue near GVMC.