Hyderabad: Barring few minor incidents, the
day-long bandh called by the Telangana groups on Friday, in
protest against the Andhra Pradesh government's alleged
"fascist attitude" towards the suicide of a Telangana youth in
Delhi, passed off peacefully.
Schools, colleges, shops and other commercial
establishments were closed and the state-run Andhra Pradesh
State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) suspended its
services at various places as a precautionary measure.
The bandh supporters took out demonstration hailing
the "martyrdom" of Yadi Reddy who ended his life in Delhi on
Wednesday last.
Attendance in government offices and other establishments
was thin as the employees supported the shut down.
Police have taken 638 persons into custody to prevent
disturbances, an official release said.
The agitators resorted to 162 road blockades, burnt
effigies at 58 plaes, held sit-ins at 94 places and took out
64 rallies.
The release said 10 cases of damages to bus and other
vehicles and four cases of attack on private or government
properties were reported.
Sporadic incidents of unlawful assembly, pelting of
stones, causing inconvenience and nuisance to the general
public, closure of petrol pumps, schools, boycotting of courts
were reported in the Telangana districts, it said.
Police had made elaborate arrangements for the shut down
and it passed peacefully, the release added.
The shutdown had been called in protest against the
state government's "fascist attitude" in refusing to allow
Telangana leaders pay homage to M Yadi Reddy who allegedly
committed suicide in Delhi to protest against delay in the
formation of separate state and government's attempt to curb
the right of the employees to go on strike.
The bandh evoked partial response in Hyderabad as the
shops were found open, the APSRTC buses ran near normally and
traffic snarls were witnessed at a few places. However, petrol
pumps in the city largely remained closed.
PTI
First Published: Friday, July 22, 2011, 23:06