Traders participate in bandh

Kakinada: The state-wide bandh called by the left parties (CPI and CPM) and supported by the YSR Congress Party and Congress went off peacefully in Kakinada city on Thursday. 

As part of bandh, the CPI and CPM activists conducted a bike rally in the main streets of the city. All the grocery shops, medical shops, business centres, shopping malls and educational institutions remained closed due to bandh.

The bandh also affected the functioning of banks and other financial institutions. The agitators forcibly shut the Andhra Bank at the collector’s office. The main centres in the city, Bhanu Gudi Junction, Masjid Centre and Two Town Police Station Centre wore a deserted look due to bandh.

The RTC officials stopped all the services fearing of damage from protesters. The police were deployed at the main centres in the city to tackle the emergency situations. The bandh mainly hit the small traders who sell vegetables, fruits and other eatables on pushcarts and bicycles.

Kakinada City and Rural MLAs also took part in the protest against the Central government’s step-motherly attitude towards Andhra Pradesh. City MLA Vanamadi Venkateswara Rao wore a black shirt as part of protest and conducted a meeting with the TDP followers and activists at the district TDP office.

Vanamadi Venkateswara Rao alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi ignored the promises that were made to Andhra Pradesh during bifurcation of the state. He informed that the PM has sanctioned new railway projects in the budget to Karnataka and Gujarat ignoring Amaravati and urged Modi that he should fulfil the bifurcation promises immediately.