Bandh for unified State 'total'in Krishna dist

Vijayawada,Dec 11: Barring stray incidents, the Andhra bandh call given by the Samaikya Andhra Samrakshana Samity, City Congress, Telugu Desam and Praja Rajyam in opposition to the separate Telangana move evoked a peaceful response.The Communist Party of India, which extended its support to the separate statehood for Telangana districts extended its support to the Samykhya Andhra agitation in the district.The traders voluntarily downed their shutters and business establishments closed without external pressure.

The passengers had a harrowing time at the Pandit Nehru Bus Stand as the APSRTC preferred to take buses off the roads anticipating damage to its fleet. Students of Acharya Nagarjuna University staged a rasta-roko on the National Highway disrupting traffic.They raised slogans against Telanga Rashtra Samithi leader K.C Rao and burnt him in effigy.The city lawyers also extended their solidarity with the badh proponents.In the absence of the RTC city bus service, the Bhavani pilgrims who thronged the city from various districts to relinquish their Bhavani deeksha also suffered.The otherwise, busy Besant Road wore a deserted look as all the shops were closed.The agitators staged rasta-rokos,dharnas and burnt KCR in effigy.

The Congress corporators belonging to Lagadapati Rajagopal camp were in the forefront of the stir while the corporators owing alligiance to former Minister and senior Congress leader Nehru were conspicuous by their absence.Even Mayor Ratnabindu and former mayor Mallika Begum resigned for the cause of unified state,Nehru camp corporators chose to wait and watch.The bandh was by and large successful in the city.