VIJAYAWADA: On the occasion of Republic Day, the city witnessed protests and arrests and nearly 100 people demanding Special Category Status were taken into custody for staging protests without permission when all public places were clamped with Section 144 and Police Act 30 on Thursday.
The arrested agitators included people from student and women organisations and political parties who were staging protests at various places in the city. Police forces had been deployed and special teams were monitoring law and order situation in the city.
The police resorted to arrests at Padmavathi Ghat, Ramavarappadu Ring, Varadhi, Kaleswara Market of One Town area, Lenin Centre, Dharna Chowk at Alankar Centre, Ambedkar statue centre near Police Control Room.
“There was no permission to any procession or protest. The police will not allow any such protests anywhere in the city,” Deputy Commissioner of Police, G Pala Raju told Express.
On Wednesday night, around 15 people were bound over in the city to prevent protests on SCS in the city.
Along with Pawan Kalyan fans, who are also workers of Jana Sena Party, other leaders including Ch Babu Rao from CPM, Malladi Vishnu from Congress, Donepudi Sankar from CPI, women members of AIDWA, student leaders from AISF, PDSU, AIYF, NSUI were taken into police custody.
A majority of the arrested were shifted to the police stations of Krishna Lanka, One Town and Governorpet.