Rajahmundry: Pratyeka Hodha Sadhana Samithi supported bandh went off peacefully with no untoward incidents in Godavari districts on Friday.
In Rajahmundry in East Godavari, supporters of CPI, CPM, Congress and TD took out protest rallies separately demanding the Centre to move fast on according special category status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh to fulfil all provisions incorporated under AP Reorga-nisation Act, 2014.
Supporters from CPIM took out a scooter rally and burnt an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Shymala Centre. Congress supporters led by city party president N.V. Srinivas took out a protest rally from Kotagummam Centre to Kotipalli Bus Stand demanding special tag to the state and criticised the BJP-led NDA alliance for coming to the rescue of residuary state of AP even as it was facing severe financial crunch.
Meanwhile, TD activists led by GUDA chairman Ganni Krishna and Mayor P. Rajani Sesha Sai wearing black badges arrived at Gokavaram Bus Stand Centre and staged a stir in front of the statue of Dr B.R. Ambedkar criticising the Centre for its failure to implement the split Act and ignoring several assurances made on the floor of Rajya Sabha by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
All commercial establishments remained open and public and private offices functioned normally. APSRTC also operated its services normally even though there was a slight disruption at some places in the early hours of the day. RTC operated nearly 97 per cent of its services.
No cases were booked and nobody was taken into preventive custody by police in the district.
In West Godavari at Eluru, CPI and CPM supporters staged protest to demand special category status for AP at Vasantha Mahal Centre and burnt the effigies of PM Narendra Modi and Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. Some other activists also took out protest rallies at the Old Bus Stand Centre.
AP NGOs formed human chain at the Fire Station Centre and raised slogans for special tag and also for implementation of all the provisions of AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.
The APSRTC, meanwhile, operated its services without any disruption across the district while the police did not book any case as the protests were held in a peaceful manner.
All commercial establishments remained open and both the public and private offices functioned normally despite the bandh call.
