Bandh cripples normal life in pilgrim city

Tirupati: The Bharat Bandh called by the political parties except BJP to press the Centre to roll back the controversial farm laws and also to protest against the NDA government's anti-people policies including unchecked privatisation of PSUs (Vizag Steel Plant), was total and peaceful in the pilgrim city on Friday.

All shops, commercial establishments, schools, colleges, universities, banks, LIC, cinema halls and hotels remained shut while the private and public transport vehicles were also off the road crippling normal life in the city.

The APSRTC, Tirupati region, following the management instruction cancelled all its 3,500 bus services which were partially resumed later in the afternoon. However, the bus services between Tirupati and Tirumala remained unaffected as the bandh organisers in order not to cause inconvenience to the pilgrims coming from far off places on pilgrimage to Tirumala exempted the bus service from the bandh.

The Left parties along with their trade unions, frontal organisations took out rally in the city appealing to people to observe bandh while the TDP led by former MLA M Suguna and party candidate for Tirupati by-election Panabaka Lakshmi and leaders observed dharna at Ambedkar statue near bus stand in support of the bandh and All India Democratic Students Organisation (AIDSO) also held a rally from Balaji Colony to Municipal Corporation office in support of the bandh and condemning the Centre on the farm laws and move to privatise Vizag Steel Plant.

The busy streets wore a deserted look revealing the impact of the bandh which was a total success with the ruling YSRCP also extending its support to the bandh, though the leaders or the activists did not directly participate in organising the bandh to condemn the BJP-led NDA government remaining adamant in withdrawing farm laws and privatisation of PSUs.