Telangana: Seemandhra tense post bill T approval

United Andhra supporters including members of the opposition parties and students took to the streets, held demonstrations and resorted to road blockades in Anantapur, Nellore, Prakasam, Guntur, East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna, Visakhapatnam and Chittoor districts and other parts Seemandhra region.

State DGP B Prasada Rao told PTI that barring a few protests and dharnas, the situation in Seemandhra is under control. "We may seek additional forces, depending upon the situation," he said. "The situation is tense...but under control.

So far, the protests have been peaceful. However, we have called for additional forces (two companies of central paramilitary forces) as a precautionary measure," IGP (Guntur Range), P V Sunil Kumar, said. "After the passage of the Telangana Bill, we are anticipating agitations and hence we have tightened security.

Paramilitary force and state police personnel were deployed at different places to thwart any attempts to disturb law and order. Security has been stepped up at public places, around statues, including residences of public representatives and state and Union ministers from Seemandhra," Anantapur district Superintendent of Police S Senthil Kumar said.

Security was strengthened around Central government installations, railway stations and offices. Effigies of Congress president Sonia Gandhi were burnt in the district headquarters town of Ongole, where the protesters took out candlelight and silent procession denouncing the bifurcation.

A senior police officer from Eluru range said, "Police are on full alert. Pickets have been set up and patrolling has been intensified." Meanwhile, a report from East Godavari district said supporters of united Andhra Pradesh attacked the BJP office at Gokavaram in Rajahmundry town.

The united AP supporters barged into the office of BJP at around 6 pm and damaged flags and other materials kept there to protest the BJP's support to the Telangana Bill. They also raised slogans against the saffron outfit. In another incident, unified AP activists damaged the flexi sign boards with pictures of Congress President Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul.

TDP and YSR Congress activists took out separate processions in the district and raised slogans against BJP and Congress. Workers of YSR Congress burnt the effigies of Sonia and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at Gorakshana Colony in Rajahmundry.

Meanwhile, the examinations scheduled to be held in Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University at Kakinada, the district HQ, tomorrow have been postponed in view of bandh in Seemandhra, its Registrar Prasad Rao said in a statement, adding a fresh date will be announced later.