Bharat Bandh elicits mixed response in Andhra

Hyderabad, Sept 20: The nationwide

against diesel price hike and FDI in retail was marked by protest rallies, road blockades here and in other parts of

, with activists of

,

and Left parties taking to streets.

The bandh call evoked a partial response in Hyderabad and Visakhapatnam while mixed response in Kadapa, Kurnool, Srikakulam, Karimnagar and Krishna districts. Police took into custody several protesters including CPI(M) State Secretary BV Raghavulu, CPI State Secretary K Narayana, leaders of TDP among others at several places in Hyderabad after they held demonstrations terming the UPA government's decisions on reforms on diesel, LPG and FDI in retail as "anti-people".

Bus services were affected with APSRTC plying less number of buses though trains were running normally in the city and other districts, officials said. Educational institutions, shops and business establishments remained closed in many locations of the city and across Andhra Pradesh in view of the bandh call.

Elaborate security arrangements were made to maintain law and order and police also made preventive arrests in Kadapa, Karimnagar and Krishna districts.

In Vishakapatnam, agitators tried to obstruct RTC buses at Gajuwaka, Maddilapalem, Kurmannapalem and other depots in the city. Though the bandh was peaceful, police detained 20 protesters for disrupting vehicular movement and organising road blockades in various places in the city.

In Vijaywada, many leaders including former MP K Yerrannaidu and D Umamaheswara Rao (both from TDP) were taken into custody as preventive measure when they staged a sit in at APSRTC bus station and obstructed the movement of buses along with other CPM and CPI leaders.

All them were shifted to police station and later released. As part of nation-wide bandh BJP state unit today organised protest rallies and demonstrations across the state demanding immediate rollback.

In the state capital here, BJP senior leader M Venkaiah Naidu, former union ministers Shahnawaz Hussain, Bandaru Dattareya and state party chief B Kishan Reddy were among party workers taken into preventive custody at RTC cross road when they staged a dharna, police said.

Over 200 party activists were taken into custody at RTC cross road and they were shifted to Gandhi police station, party sources claimed.

Earlier, addressing the gathering BJP leader Shahnawaz Hussain, who was here to participate in the bandh, said the UPA allies should withdraw support to the government which was in neck deep corruption.

Referring indirectly to the All India Majlis-Ettahadul-Muslimeen (MIM), Hussain said whether the allies had one MP or two MPs they should follow Trinmool Congress in the interest of people of the country and withdraw their support.

PTI