Vijayawada: The bandh call given by opposition YSR Congress demanding special category status for Andhra Pradesh evoked partial response in city and the district on Saturday.
The YSRC leaders and activists who targeted RTC buses across the district tried to stop them from plying.
In Vijayawada, former minister K. Parthasara-dhi and other party activists gathered at 5.30 am in the morning and squatted before buses to stop them from plying. However, police intervened and arrested them as a preventive measure. City buses started plying after two hours delay.
Schools and collegesand commercial establishments remained clo-sed. The bandh impact was seen only for around two hours in the morning and normalcy was restored in the afternoon. YSRC leader P. Gow-tham Reddy was kept under house arrest as a preventive measure. Former MLA V. Radhakr-ishna was also arrested. Around 60 persons, including leaders and activists were arrested in city limits. They were later released upon personal surety.
In Machilipatnam, YSRC leaders Perni Ven-kateswara Rao (Nani) and others were arrested as they tried to halt bus services in the town.
Nani’s followers staged protests at the police station demanding release of Nani. At Jaggaiapeta, YSRC district convener Samineni Udaya Bhanu, MLA U. Kalpana at Pamarru, K. Rukshana Nidhi at Tiruvuru and others were arrested. Mild tension prevailed at Jaggaiapeta police station when police confronted protesters who were demanding release of their leader Udaya Bhanu.
Left parties, including the CPI and the CPM supported the bandh and took out rallies. Student organisations AISF, SFI and others conducted signature campaigns in support of the bandh demanding special status for the state.
