Red carpet welcome to Bush in Andhra: Left stages protests

Hyderabad, Mar 3 (UNI) The Andhra Pradesh Government today rolled out a red carpet welcome to United States President George Bush on his visit to this city of 'nawabs and kebabs' who interacted with agriculturists, rural women entrepreurs, farm scientists and young entrepreneurs.

Violent protests, meanwhile, were staged against the alleged ''Imperialist policies'' of the USA.

Fifteen youths were injured in the old city which observed a bandh, as police lathicharged to disperse those who restored to stone throwing after Friday prayers, in protest against the US policies in the Arab world.

Sharing similarities of interests with Mr Bush, who was accompanied by the First Lady Laura Bush, Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, himself a farmer, showcased the state's advancement in agriculture and farm research, as also empowerment of rural women to the visiting dignitary, himself a ranch owner.

The US President wooed Indian youth to American universities for higher studies, at an interaction in the prestigious Indian School of Business in the hightech city, which has a concentration of a large number of US-based Multinational companies.

The Communist parties, as part of state-wide agitation took out protest marches, waving red flags and raising solgans ''Bush Go back'' and also burnt Bush's effigy.

Mr Bush expressed his admiration for Indian youth, spoke eloquently about the the virtues of free trade and enterprise and ruled out protectionist policy to protect jobs in his country while advocating outsourcing as it believed in competition.

He saw in the 300 million middle class people a great opportunity to expand Indo-US relations.

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