Cong. workers attack students; Rasta roko, bandh observed

Vizianagaram: A bandh was observed in the town on Tuesday protesting against the attack by Congress workers on students agitating for Samaikyandhra. In response to a call given by student unions, traders voluntarily participated in the bandh.

All students’ and people’s organisations condemned the attack on students by Congress workers. Students came on to the streets protesting against the attack. They blocked all the main roads in the town.

Vehicle drivers faced untold misery because of the rasta roko by the students at Mayuri Junction as traffic came to a standstill. The angry students raised slogans against the Congress party and PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana. They demanded that cases should be booked against the Congress leaders who attacked them.

The students also urged that the guilty Congress workers should apologise. The police urged the students to give up the rasta roko and assured action against the erring Congress activists. But the students stuck to their stand and refused to leave until a public apology was made. In spite of a lengthy traffic jam, the students did not relent. They insisted on justice. The cops too remained mere spectators. Even Superintendent of Police Kartikeya who spoke to the students was forced to leave when he failed to convince them.

Later, addressing the media, the SP said that a complaint has to be launched against the workers who had attacked the students. It is not justified by the students to block the roads without lodging a complaint, he said. Action will be taken against anyone who defies the law, he said. The students who had agitated for 10 hours at a stretch finally gave it up by Tuesday evening. They threatened to intensify the agitation from Wednesday all over the district. Unless action is taken against the Congress workers who attacked the students, they would not give up the agitation, they said.

Samaikyandhra agitators dhave planned to intensify the agitation by staging rail roko and blocking the Andhra-Odisha train services. Tuesday was marked with protests all over the district even as the agitation in favour of Samaikyandhra entered the 35th day. Agitators came on to the roads and protested. Employees of the Treasury took out a motorcycle rally from the Collectorate to the RTC Complex here. Also NGOs formed a human chain at the Collectorate.

Gazetted officers staged a dharna and raised slogans in favour of Samaikyandhra. Teachers staged a dharna at Kota Junction. Municipal workers staged a protest. They demanded that the State should remain united. They condemned the Congress for trying to divide the State for their own political ends.