City simmers with Samaikyandhra stir

Agitation enters 12th day; Protests, rallies continue; ‘Ksheerabhishekam’ to Potti Sriramulu statue

Visakhapatnam: The city continued to boil with protest rallies, dharnas, silent processions and human chains as the Samaikyandhra agitation entered the 12th day on Sunday. Police pickets too were continuing at all sensitive areas in the city.

‘Ksheerabhishekam’ to Potti Sriramulu statue

A large number of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) Youth Organisation activists and party leaders took out a rally on the RK Beach Road on Sunday raising slogans demanding united Andhra Pradesh. Later, Anakapalli MP Sabbam Hari performed ‘Ksheerabhishekam’ to the statue of Potti Sriramulu. He called upon the people to rewrite the history of the Congress party in view of Samaikyandhra agitation. He asserted that all Seemandhra MPs would vote against the State Bifurcation Bill in Parliament. Among others, GV Ravi Raju, Chokkakula Venkata Rao, Ch. Poturaju, Kumbha Ravibabu, Tippala Nagireddy, P Usha Kiran and P Umarani attended.
Elsewhere, workers of YSRCP, local public and children took out a rally led by Zaheer Ahmed in One Town limits raising slogans against bifurcation of the State. Later, the agitators burnt the effigy of UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi.

JAC leaders held

The police took Samaikyandhra Students Joint Action Committee (JAC) State president Adari Kishore Kumar and State convenor of Samaikyandhra Political JAC JT Rama Rao into preventive custody when they, along with the activists, tried to organise rail roko on Sunday. A large number of pickets with city police, GRP and RPF were deployed in and around the Visakhapatnam Railway Station since Saturday night to prevent the rail roko protests.

Vizag as Andhra capital urged

Uttarandhra Praja Hakkula Porata Ikya Vedika president Ganta Papa Rao said here on Sunday that a detailed report would be submitted to the high-power committee headed by AK Antony with regard to the bifurcation of the State demanding Visakhapatnam as the capital of Andhra State. Though the issue of bifurcation of the State was in the purview of the Central government, the Bill would have to be passed both in the State Assembly and in Parliament, he said. The Ikya Vedika would float ‘Punarnirmana Samithi of Andhra State’, he disclosed. Vedika representatives Devisri, Koyya Hari Hara Reddy (advocate), Rajasekhar and State general secretary of Nayi Brahmana Seva Sangham M Ramana were present.

Silent rallies taken out

The National Mazdoor Union (NMU) members of Road Transport Corporation (RTC) of all local depots observed silent rallies on Sunday as a unique protest against the ‘T’ decision. The protestors then organised road rokos and formed human chains to express their protest against the bifurcation of the State. NMU zonal secretary PV Mohan said that similar protests were observed at Maddilapalem, Peda Waltair, Simhachalam, Gajuwaka and Steel Plant depots. The relay hunger strike taken up by the NMU members of Maddilapalem depot was continuing.

Arya Vysyas plan cycle rally

Members of the Arya Vysya Sangham, in association with the Arya Vysya Yuvajana Sangham and other allied organisations, would be taking out a cycle rally from Vasavi Bhavan in One Town area to RK Beach on Monday with sloganeering in favour of unified State. They would later perform ‘Ksheerabhishekam’ to the statue of Amarajeevi Potti Sriramulu. They would then reach Jagadamba Junction and protest against bifurcation of the State by forming a human chain.

TSR visits protest camp

Rajya Sabha member T Subbarami Reddy on Sunday visited the relay hunger strike camp of Greater Visakha BC Samkshema Sangham near GVMC Gandhi statue and expressed his solidarity to the fasting members. The members raised slogans against ‘T’ decision and demanded the Centre to keep the State united. Earlier, Mr Reddy garlanded the Gandhi statue. President of Greater Visakha BC Samkshema Sangham Narava Rambabu and others participated in the relay fast. City Mahila Congress president Pedada Ramani Kumari, Kuntumuchu Tata Rao and State general secretary of Nayi Brahmana Seva Sangham M Ramana accompanied the MP.

Rasta roko by Cong. MLA

Parawada: Gajuwaka Congress MLA Chintalapudi Venkatramaiah, along with his supporters, staged a rasta roko on the national highway at Aganampudi demanding united Andhra Pradesh. As a result, vehicular traffic on the national highway was stalled for quite some time. The agitators later burnt the effigy of TRS leader K Chandrasekhar Rao. The agitation would continue till the Centre withdraws its ‘T’ decision, he said.

Proclainer operators’ stir

Anakapalli (Visakhapatnam): The JCB and proclainer operators, workers and helpers, under the banner ‘Proclainer Operators’ Association, laid siege to National Highway-5 by observing a protest with proclainers and JCBs as part of the Samaikyandhra agitation on Sunday. The protest paralysed the vehicular traffic on the National Highway for over 30 minutes. The unique protest has attracted many as the agitators deployed more than 40 proclainers and JCBs on which the effigies of KCR and Sonia Gandhi were hung. Later, the agitators proceeded to the main roads of the Jaggery Town displaying the effigies from the proclainers. Then, they burnt the effigies. The leaders demanded the Central government to withdraw the bifurcation proposal and the high-powered committee was not acceptable.