Power staff threaten to snap grid links to TN, Karnataka

Hyderabad: With the Samaikyandhra agitation close to entering the second month, there are clear signs of intensification of the movement with inter-state implications. In Nellore, the Electricity Employees JAC laid siege to the house of Finance Minister Anam Ramanarayana Reddy on Friday. The police set up barricades near the house. Heated arguments between the agitators and the police ensued. The employees then threatened to disconnect power supply in the town on September 2, starting with the minister’s connection. They said the power grid connections to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka would be cut as P Chidambaram and Veerappa Moily were trying to bifurcate the State.

Agitators in Vizianagaram articulated their demand to keep the State united through ‘Laksha Gala garjana’ on Friday against the State’s proposed division. The local Siti Cable organised a programme at Kota Junction. Siti Cable MD M Srinivasa Rao inaugurated a rally held to mark the event. There was a similar mass gathering ‘Satasahasra Samaikya galarchana’ at the Fire Station Junction in Eluru and about 20,000 students participated. Both gatherings evoked good response, with participation of all sections of people, particularly youth. The Samaikyandhra agitation took a serious turn in East Godavari district, following an attack on the Ravva oil unit at S Yanam in Uppalaguptam mandal. The police quelled the agitators, leading to tension in the area.

In Tirupati, TTD employees took out a huge rally to press their demand to keep the State united. ‘Dollar’ Seshadri, who usually helps/accompanies VVIPs to have the Lord’s ‘darshan’, sprang a surprise by openly opposing the State’s division with the help of a ‘dappu’. The employees and archakas announced holiday and joined local residents in organizing a ‘sadbhavana’ rally.

Telugu Desam MLA Gali Muddukrishnama Naidu undertook a ‘padayatra’ from Tatimakula Kandriga, in Ramachandrapuram mandal (Chittoor district), in support of Samaikyandhra.

Members of the Employees’ JAC and Samaikyandhra JAC, riding two-wheelers, tried to lay siege to Union Minister Panabaka Lakshmi’s residence at Bapatla (Guntur district), demanding her resignation. They were blocked by the police. The protestors sat on a dharna 10 metres away from the house and raised slogans. The police sent them away.

Legislator Kamalamma faced the wrath of the agitators at Badvel( Kadapa district), when she went to inaugurate a building of the Women and Child Development Department. When she offered to resign at B R Ambedkar’s statue, the agitators wanted her resignation to be in line with the format acceptable to the Speaker. They raised ‘MLA, go back’ slogans. The police escorted her to safety. All government offices in the district remained closed as officials went on strike.

All business establishments in Visakhapatnam remained closed in response to the call given by the Chamber of Commerce. The auto union called for a two-day ‘auto bandh’, following which about 10,000 vehicles were stopped. In Srikakulam, agitators organised a ‘Samaikya Samarabheri’. Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao attended the function. When he rose to speak, the gathering demanded his resignation. Rao tried to reason with the agitations by asking them: “If all ministers quit, who would resist the Telangana Bill in the Assembly.” He continued the speech after a verbal duel with a section of the gathering.