‘Tirupati bandh’ ends peacefully

Tirupati: The two-day ‘besiege Tirupati city’ programme concluded on Thursday evening peacefully. All major commercial establishments remained closed from Wednesday morning to Thursday evening. Auto rickshaws, taxis, jeeps and private buses resumed normal operations from Thursday evening. Earlier, activists of Samaikyandhra JACs took out a motor cycle rally in Tirupati and burnt tyres on several roads.

Hundreds of vehicles were stranded in traffic jams on two by-pass roads around Tirupati city in view of the road blockade by activists. Some ‘outside’ vehicles entered the city, but activists deflated their tyres at various places. Artists painted ‘Jai Samaikyandhra’ on main roads in the city.

Revenue Department employees organised a motor cycle rally, covering all the relay hunger strike camps. Doctors and nurses boycotted duties and took part in protests in Government Ruia Hospital, Tirupati. The municipal employees carried plastic chairs on their heads for a few minutes. The Tirupati Town Cooperative Bank employees staged a symbolic ‘suicide’ by Telugu Talli, depicting her as jumping into flames to end her life since she does not want to see the split within Telugu people.