HYDERABAD: UPA Government’s decision to carve out a separate Telangana State has evoked strong protests from people of North Andhra region comprising Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam as well as those from the Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions.
Rasta rokos, rallies, burning of effigies and protest meetings were held all over the Andhra and Rayalaseema regions today.
In Visakhapatnam, thousands of activists of various students unions of Andhra University organised rallies, dharnas, formed human chains at several places at Andhra University (AU) and in the city against the UPA Government’s decision and a bandh call is given for tomorrow.
Meanwhile, the Telugu Desam corporators of Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) staged dharna at MVP Colony and raised slogans in support of an integrated united state, while seven Congress Corporators resigned in protest.
In Srikakulam large number of students of Ambedkar University staged rally and dharna on NH-5 at Etcherala and raised slogans against TRS. The Dharna led to a traffic jam at NH-5 for more than three hours.
Students, teachers and advocates staged dharna and rallies at Palakonda and Srikakulam and burnt the effigy’s of TRS Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao and Chief Minister K Rosaiah.
In Vizianagaram district there is a mixed response on the UPA Government’s decision.
Some of the student organisations registered their protest against he centre’s nod for separation of the state.
The UPA decision has caused a deep divide not only within the Congress party and but also other parties in Krishna, Guntur and Prakasam districts.
Cutting across the party line, over 80 percent of MLAs,MLCs and MPs from three districts today announced resigning from their posts and remaining are understood to have resigned.
Soon after Vijayawada Congress MP L Rajagopal’s resignation, over 25 Congress Corporators of Vijayawada Municipal Corporation (VMC) too announced resigning from their posts and extended their solidarity to their MP. Later, they submitted their resignation letters to Vijayawada Mayor Ratna Bindu.
Similarly, 10 MLAs and 4 MLCs and MP Rayapati Sambasiva Rao of Guntur district so far have announced quitting from their posts.
Of the 12 Assembly constituencies in Prakasam district, Apart from Purchur MLA Daggupati Venkateswara Rao, all the MLAs and MLCs, including Mines Minister Balineni Srinivasa Rao today announced that they would quit the posts.
Meanwhile, students of Nagarjuna University launched a stir and staged a dharna in front of their Univeristy.
In Tirupati, students of Sri Venkateswara University staged demonstration and rastarokho at the university gate. Hundreds of students took out a procession and staged a sit in on the road.
Meanwhile, demanding Samykya Andhra, Murali Naik, a second year MSc (Geography) student tried to self immolate by dousing self in petrol, but was prevented by other protestors and police.
Upset over the UPA decision, people in Anantpaur, Tadipatri, Hindupur, Gooty, Guntakal and Penukonda observed bandh voluntarily.
Some Agitators in Gooty resorted to torching lorries and buses to express their protest, creating tension in the town. In total, 20 lorries and RTC buses were damaged and burnt.
With news making rounds of Tadipatri MLA JC Diwakar Reddy’s resignation in protest against the Government’s decesion, tension gripped Tadipatri municipality and several people came on the roads and took out protest rallies. JC Diwakar Reddy, Tadipatri Municipal Council resigned enmasse.
Sri Krishnadevarayau University, become rally point for the protestors who took out rallies and staged demonstrations. Some attacked the RTC buses going towards Kadiri, Dharmavaram and Puttaparthi and damaged about 15 buses.
Youth Congress leader Sekharbabu tried to commit suicide by jumping from the roof of DCC office, but was prevented by two town CU Vijaya Kumar, who had rushed to the spot. Bandh was also observed in Urvakonda and BK Samudram town.
In Chittoor, about 20,000 students from various educational institutions gathered at the district headquarters ademanding Greater Rayalaseema. In Kuppam, students of Dravidian University burnt UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, Union Minister for Home P Chidambaram and TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao effigies.
ZP Chairman Subramanyam Reddy (Congress), Vice-Chairman Kumar Raja, PCC general secretary B Karunakar Reddy, Municipal chairpersons Sarala Mari (Chittoor), Ravi Kumar (Madanapalle), Nagabushanamma (Palamaner) and the councilors resigned to their posts.
In Puttur, TDP activists led by municipal chairman Ankaiah staged a rasta-roko.
Meanwhile, some of the agitators set fire to a lorry carrying red gram load to Hyderabad on the Piler - Kalakada road.
In Nellore, Telugu Bashodyama Samithi leader Acharya Atreya led 100 people condemning the disfiguring of Potti Sriramulu Statue. Potti Sriramulu Zilla Sadhana Samithi also staged demonstration. Four councilors each in Kavali, Venkatagiri and Gudur municipalties resigned. State Telugu Yuvatha preisdent B Ravichandra also resigned to his post.
