United Andhra activists stage rail roko agitation

Gajapatinagaram / S Kota (Vizianagaram)
Dec. 23: Hundreds of Samaikya Andhra agitators led by former MLA, Ms Padala Aruna, took out a protest rally to the local railway station on Wednesday demanding unified Andhra and staged a rail roko by stopping Nizamabad-Sambalpur Express.

Speaking on the occasion, Ms Aruna demanded that all MPs and ministers including Mr Botsa Satyanarayana should resign without clinching to their portfolios when the Seema and Andhra areas were hotting up with agitations and to protect the "Telugu Pride".

Heavy police bandobust was deployed from Gajapatinagaram, Bondapalli, Peda Manapuram and Andra stations under the supervision of circle inspector, Mr T. Trinadha Rao.

Similarly, agitators from S. Kota, Kothavalasa, Vepada and Jaami mandals led by Telugu Desam legislator, Ms Kolla Lalitha Kumari, stopped the Durg-Visakhapatnam passenger train at Kothavalasa railway station demanding united Andhra.

The MLA denounced the derogative remarks of Mr K. Chandrasekhar Rao, and the acts of his party cadre against those supporting the present agitation.

The TD leader, Ms Sobha Hymavathi, the Congress leader, Mr I. Raghu Raju, Mr Kolla Ramprasad, Mr Pedababu, Mr R. Venkanna and Mr G.S. Naidu, and others participated in the rail roko.

When the agitators not heeding to the police appeal to leave the track, the woman agitators were bodily lifted by deploying women cops.

Heavy police bandobust was deployed including Railway Protection Force which was supervised by the CI, Mr R. Govinda Rao.