Stir enters 20th day

• YSR Congress leader launches indefinite fast
• Won’t be cowed down by ESMA: Employees
• Two-day bandh in Nandikotkuru

Kurnool: Thousands of people poured onto the roads here on Monday the 20th day of the agitation against the decision to divide the state of Andhra Pradesh raising slogans against the UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and TRS chief KCR. The agitators burnt down the effigies of Sonia Gandhi, Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy, PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana and KCR. Joint action committees of employees, teachers and students have taken out massive rallies in the city and organised meetings at the statues of Telugu Talli, Srikrishna Devarayalu and the Collectorate.

The relay hunger strike started by the Congress activists before their district office entered the 15th day and the protest demonstrations launched by the municipal employees entered the 20th day on Monday. Industrialist TG Bharat challenged the BJP which has evinced keen interest to divide the state to divide Gujarat first. YSR CONG leader SV Mohan Reddy on Monday launched indefinite hunger strike expressing solidarity to the party’s honorary president YS Vijayamma. Mohan Reddy has taken out a rally from his office at SV complex went to the Collectorate where he garlanded the statue of Mahatma Gandhi. Later, the rally reached the statue of Srikrishna Devarayalu where they started the indefinite hunger strike.

Addressing the meeting, he said that if all the 175 MLAs and 25 MPs from Seemandhra submitted their resignations, the state would not be divided. Yemmiganur MLA Chennakesava Reddy stressed on the necessity to intensify the agitation to make the Centre realize their aspirations. At ATMKURU, the Joint Act Committee and the journalists JAC have intensified the agitation in the five mandals of Srisailam Assembly segment. Irrespective of the announcement of the government to implement ESMA, the employees took out massive rallies.

The RTC, government and private educational institutions and various governments wore a deserted look with the employees taking part in the agitation. The TDP activists took out a massive motorcycle rally here giving new thrust to the agitation. Setting a new record, a human chain with 2,000 people was formed at Atmakuru. The number of devotees to the famous shrines of Srisailam and Mahanandi has come down drastically due to the agitation. The RTC bus depot here has incurred a loss of Rs. one crore so far due to the cancellation of bus services. However, the agitators have not damaged the public or private property but made their point with their protests. About 50 people started relay hunger strike here in support to YSR Congress president YS Vijayamma on Monday.

At Nandikotkuru, the agitators on Monday announced a two-day total bandh of Nandikotkuru. At Pattikonda, students JAC of all schools and colleges in Pattikonda took out a massive rally with some of the students donning the attire of Alluri Sitaramaraju and Telugu Talli on Monday. In Allagadda, Sizable number of Muslims staged protest demonstrations on the National Highway 18 protesting against the decision to divide the state.

Earlier, they took out a rally from the tahsildar office in the town raising slogans in favour of united state. In Dhone, employees of ICDS, Revenue department, advocates, students of private educational institutions including schools, colleges, members of Christian minority associations took out a massive rally in support of united Andhra Pradesh. Right from children people of all ages have participated in the rally raising slogans against the decision to divide the state. The school children stood around the statue of Mahatma Gandhi in the town and raised slogans for a united state.