Bandh on low key due to Ramzan

• Dharmana and four other MLAs and an MLC resign
• Kiran gets support from Anam and Nehru
• Muslims offer prayers for Samaikyandhra

Galla Aruna organises a huge rally

Hyderabad: The agitation in support of Samaikyandhra continued for the tenth consecutive day in Rayalaseema and Andhra areas on Friday. The bandh was on low key as the Samaikyandhra JAC decided to exempt transport and shops from the purview of bandh due to Ramzan. As part of Ramzan festivities, Muslims prayed for the continuation of united Andhra Pradesh at several places. Former Minister Dharmana Prasad Rao along with four MLAs and one MLC submitted resignations. They said they stood for the united state and announced their decision to participate in the agitation.

Muslims offer prayers for unified State
In Nellore district, protests against division of the State continued on Friday. Nellore city MLA Mungamuru Sridhar Krishna Reddy said that utterances of the Chief Minister reflected the thoughts of the people of Rayalaseema and Andhra regions.
Former MLA Polamreddy Srinivasulu Reddy launched a relay fast at Kovur. Earlier, he took part in bullock carts procession on National Highway disrupting traffic. The Students Joint Action Committee staged a protest. Meanwhile, Muslims, including Imams, who offered prayers on the occasion of Ramzan, also prayed for the unified State.

Fisherwomen take part in stir
In East Godavari district, the fisherwomen joined the Samaikyandhra movement on Friday by taking out a mock funeral procession of Sonia Gandhi from Kothapeta market to Balacheruvu in Kakinada town. Weeping over the ‘injustice’ done to the region by her, they burnt the effigy of Sonia. They formed a human chain and raised slogans in support of Samaikyandhra. Hundreds of Arya Vysyas performed Palabhishekam to the statue of founder of Andhra Pradesh State, Potti Sreeramulu and raised slogans.

Dharmana along with four other MLAs resign
In Srikakulam, former Minister Dharmana Prasad Rao along with Palasa MLA J Jagannayakulu, Tekkali MLA Korla Bharati, Amudalavalasa MLA B Satyavathi, Etcherla MLA Neelakantham and MLC Viswaprasad resigned to their posts to protest against bifurcation of state. The muslims, who celebrated Ramzan on Friday, took out a huge rally on the main road in support of Samaikyandhra agitation. They raised slogans like ‘Sonia down down’ and ‘KCR down, down.’ Lawyers who were boycotting courts and taking part in various programmes for the past eight days, organised Vanta Vaarpu programme on the main road near local court.

Protests for united State continue
In Prakasam district, protests continued for the tenth consecutive day in the district on Friday against creation of separate Telangana state. In Ongole town, students and doctors took out a huge rally and later formed a human chain at the local Church Centre demanding that the State be kept united. The YSRCP leader Balineni Srinivas Reddy performed ‘Palabhishekam’ to the statue of Potti Sreeramulu and vowed to continue his fight for keeping AP united.

No let-up in stir
In Visakhapatnam, all the employees of Electricity Department Vizag Circle and the APTransco took out a rally on motorcycles on Friday raising slogans demanding the Central government to withdraw the ‘T’ decision. The RTC employees continued their relay hunger strike and staged a protest at the Corporate Office. They also ‘Highway Roko’ for some time and demanded that Andhra Pradesh be kept united. Earlier, the RTC employees and the Student JAC leaders took bath on the road to highlight their demands attracting huge crowds.

Kothapalli, Pithani visit relay fast camp
In West Godavari District Congress Committee president and MLA Kothapalli Subbarayudu visited the relay fast camp of the Samaikyandhra activists here on Friday and extended solidarilty with the agitating activists. Social Welfare Minister Pithani who also visited the camp urged the people to participate in the movement cutting across party lines. He also urged the leaders from the region to bring pressure on Sonia Gandhi to stall the process of division of the State. Palakole MLA Bangaru Usha Rani participated in the relay fast. A huge rally was taken out in Narsapur town on Friday under the leadership of former MLA and YSRCP leader Mudunuri Prasada Raju.

In Tirupati, Minister Galla Aruna took out huge rally in support of Samaikyandhra on Friday. Speaking on the occasion, she said it was not proper to destroy the statues of Rajiv Gandhi and Indira Gandhi. She urged the people to conduct the agitation in peaceful manner.