SVU students stage novel protest

Tirupati: Though the protests demanding Samaikyandhra were on the wane for the past two days, the students of Sri Venkateswara University formed a novel human chain protest with specially made caricatures of Sonia Gandhi, Digvijay Singh and Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy. Students also formed human chain with half-naked protest in a symbolic manner to major loss to their future like studies, employment and others.

The students are on a relay fast for the past six days and staging protests in a novel manner at the SVU main entrance. On Sunday, a few students staged a novel protest. A specially created caricature with the cartoons of several politicians, the students described the future situation of Rayalaseema and Coastal Andhra regions. In this caricature, the students described the present political uncertainty and unrest among the Coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions, and blamed TRS Chief K Chandrasekhar Rao for turmoil in the State.

Private colleges will be closed till August 15

The relay fasts at the Municipal Office Circle held under the aegis of Samaikya Andhra Parirakshana Samiti are continuing. The fruit merchants, youth from Body Builders Association and footpath vendors extended their support to Samaikyandhra agitations. Prof. Varalakshmi and Prof. Balaji and a few others attended the camp and supported the cause.

The SAPS JAC said that all private junior, degree and professional colleges will remain closed till August 15 and students studying in these colleges will participate in protests. The youth from Body Builders Association extended their support and performed the mock competition at fasting camp to support the ongoing Samaikyandhra agitation.

Police protection to railway stations

The special party police and Railway Protection Force armed personnel were deployed in all the railway stations in Tirupati and Chitttoor district to avoid any untoward incident during a rail roko call given by the Samaikyandhra JAC on Sunday. But the agitator could not organise the blockade due to deployment of heavy posse of personnel. Though hundreds of students were gathered to obstruct the train services in Tirupati and Chittoor railway stations, the police warned them of filing cases against them if they obstruct the services, so the students could not disrupt the rail services.

‘Exclude Tirupati-Tirumala RTC buses from strike’

Tirumala: The Senior Officers Union of TTD appealed to the RTC Employees Union, who called for indefinite strike from the midnight of August 12, as part of the Seemandhra protest, to exclude Tirupati-Tirumala route buses from the strike as this may lead to lot of inconvenience to the multitude of visiting pilgrims. In a press note released to the media by TTD Senior Officers' Union President M Ramesh Reddy and General Secretary T Ravi here on Sunday stated that the TTD employees have already extended their support to the call given by the Samaikhyandhra NGO Union and have issued strike notices to the management. However, the union has appealed to the RTC Employees Union to exclude the Tirupati-Tirumala bound buses from strike keeping in view of the visiting pilgrims.