VISAKHAPATNAM: The Bharat Bandh call given by the All India Kisan Coordination Committee against the three farm laws, was peaceful and total in Andhra Pradesh on Friday. Visakhapatnam Ukku Parirakshana Committee members combined the bandh with the proposed privatisation of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP). The Visakhapatnam agency was completely shut due to the bandh. Adivasi associations raised slogans against the NDA government for the draconian farm laws.
Normal life came to a standstill while schools and colleges, shopping malls, government and private offices and banks were shut down. Offices opened in the afternoon.
As the AP government had announced support to the bandh, buses belonging to APSRTC and private carriers were off the roads and remained in depots till 1 pm.
The biggest gathering was on the National Highway at the Maddilapalem junction where thousands formed a human chain and marched in a rally on the highway to Venkojipalem. The other significant congregation was at Kurmannapalem junction on the highway near the main gate of VSP.
The day passed off peacefully in Vijayawada, Guntur and Krishna. Although most schools and colleges were closed, some higher education institutions conducted a few classes.
CPI state secretary K Ramakrishna and CPM state secretary P Madhu alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government was paving the way to the corporate giants by privatising all government and semi-government organisations in the agriculture sector, ports and airports across the country.
CPI state leader Muppala Nageswara Rao recalled that this was the second bandh call against the anti-BJP policies and this should be a wake-up call to put an end to all anti-people policies failing which the people would teach a lesson to the BJP.
The bandh was partial and peaceful in Tirupati and other parts of Chittoor district. All the roads in the pilgrim city wore a deserted look till afternoon with the withdrawal of RTC buses, closure of shops, schools, colleges, universities, cinema halls, hotels and private transport.
APSRTC, Tirupati region, which cancelled all its 3500 bus services, resumed services by afternoon. In East and West Godavari districts no untoward incidents were reported. The agitators went to Kakinada Port and stopped its operations while port workers participated in the bandh.
It was an incident-free bandh in Kadapa district. AP Farmers' Association members threw vegetables on the road at Kotireddy circle in Kadapa. CPI district secretary Gujjula Eswaraiah said the bandh was a victory of the people.
In Kurnool, Congress, TDP, CPM and CPI and various social organizations supported the bandh and participated in rallies and dharnas. It was partial in Anantapur. Protestors from CPI, CPM, AISF and SFI blocked National Highway 44 road at Rapthadu. Sri Krishnadevaraya University postponed various examinations slated for the day.
