VIJAYAWADA: The state government is determined to ensure that normal life in Andhra Pradesh is not disrupted during the bandh called by Pratyeka Hoda Sadhana Samithi on Monday seeking Special Category Status.
According to ANI, the statewide shutdown does not seem to go peaceful as a motorcycle has been set ablaze near the RTC bus stand in Tirupati.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu during a teleconference on Sunday had instructed Ministers, police, RTC and other department officials to “prevent anti-social elements from creating untoward incidents”.
Officials were asked to use surveillance and body-worn cameras to keep a close eye on the happenings and make sure that no law and order situation arises. “Special category status is a sensitive issue and our protest too should be sensitive. Our fight is against the Centre, so protests should be carried out in Delhi,” he said.
Explaining that the state was already facing several problems, he observed that people must not be subjected to inconvenience.
“Everyone should exercise restraint and protest peacefully. The stir should be unique and not make the state suffer,” he advised, encouraging people to protest for half an hour, but work for an extra hour to help the state. The Police Department has taken up precautionary measures to ensure that government services are not disrupted.
Security has been beefed up at several key locations such as bus and railway stations to prevent the bandh from turning violent. Sources in the Police Department said “troublemakers” in sensitive areas had been identified and would be put under house arrest or taken into preventive custody.
The YSRC, CPI, Jana Sena and several people’s organisations have extended support to the bandh. On Sunday, motorbike rallies were taken out in various parts of the state, appealing to people to make the state bandh a success.
YSRC chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy will take a day off from his padayatra to support the state bandh.
Schools to remain open
All educational institutions, government offices and banks will remain open and RTC buses will operate as usual. “We will stage protests at bus stations and enforce bandh. The stir is an opportunity for people to express their anger at the way the Centre has been treating AP and denying it special category status,” CPM state secretary P Madhu said.