Seemandhra region continues to boil

• Cleanse NTR’s statue
• Banner put up lampooning CM
• Procession by doctors & patients of BIRRD hospital
• Karunakar Reddy stages dharna

Tirupati: On the 11th day of Samaikyanandra agitation, artists, dressed as gods, goddesses and mythological characters, took out a rally from Mahati Kshetram to Telugu Talli statue. They performed ‘ksheerabhishekam’ to NTR’s statue. Members of the Vidyavanthula Vedika launched relay hunger-strike. They pledged to continue the struggle till the government announced retention of a unified State.

Chandragiri YSRCP leader Chevi Reddy staged a demonstration with a banner lampooning Chief Minister N Kiran Reddy, attracting public attention in the Four Mada Streets. The police removed it.

Self-help groups(SHG) women, under the auspices of RAAS, an NGO, took out a rally from the maternity hospital to Telugu Talli statue. The Tirupati Hotels’ Association held a motorcycle procession from Potti Sriramulu statute to NTR statue. Doctors, employees and patients of the TTD BIRRD Hospital took out a rally, performed puja to the Lord and joined the TTD employees’ relay hunger strike. They raised slogans at Potti Sriramulu statue.

Local MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy while staging a dharna described Kiran Reddy and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu as Seemandhra traitors. None will believe the CM, he said, while alleging that the State’s division was politically-motivated.

Govt. staff lay siege to CR’s house

Kadapa: Members of the Teacher, Employees’ JAC and AP Transco employees laid siege to the residence Minister C Ramachandraiah and demanded his resignation, in support of a united State.

JAC office opened

Visakhapatnam: Leaders of APNGOs’ Association inaugurated the non-political Joint Action Committee (JAC) in NGO Home. Chairman Balamohan announced that henceforth the Samaikyandhra agitation would be held under the JAC banner. Cable operators staged a dharna, formed a human chain and took out a bike rally. Fishermen during a march raised anti-Sonia Gandhi slogans. Leaders of APNGOs’ association held discussions with minister K Parthasarathy and requested him to join the agitation.

Vani launches fast

Kakinada: Thota Vani, wife of State minister Thota Narasimham and sarpach of Veeravaram, launched an indefinite hunger strike at Bhanugudi centre. Leaders of the Congress, TDP, other parties besides various associations extended their support. Legislators Vanga Geeta Vishwanath, N Sesha Reddy, K Kannababu, P Gandhimohan, Raja Ahokbabu were present.

Minister faints

Annavaram: Minister Thota Narasimham fell unconscious in local devasthanam after having ‘darshan’ of the deity. He was treated at the devasthanam hospital. He led a bike rally from Jaggampet to Annavaram.

Cock fights held

Kurnool: The relay hunger strike by advocates entered the tenth day. Activists of the Telugu Desam under the leadership of Pathikonda MLA K E Prabhakar continued their relay fast. Villagers from nearby areas held a rally from the Zilla Parishad to Collectorate and organised cock fights, as a novel protest.

Walkers play games

Ongole: School students took part in a ‘rasta roko’ and burnt an effigy of AICC vice-president Rahul Gandhi. Members of the Walkers’ Association held a rally and formed a human chain, took part in ‘ata-pata’ and played shuttle and cricket.

Rallies & dharnas

Anantapur: Students, teachers and employees’ organisations took part in rallies and dharnas. Members of the Kamma Sangham organised a massive rally and garlanded Potti Sriramulu’s statue. They raised slogans against the Centre and the State’s division.

Samaikyandhra ‘homam’

Vijayawada: Gas dealers organised a massive rally, raising slogans against the Centre and in support of Samaikyandhra. The agitators conducted a ‘homam’ at Hanuman Junction and later took out a bike rally, resulting in a huge traffic jam.

Employees to boycott duties

Rajahmundry: Seemandhra Employees of various departments at a meeting in R & B guest house resolved to boycott duties from the midnight of August 12. They decided to exert pressure on MPs and MLAs to resign.

‘Rasta roko’

Guntur: Students held a ‘rasta roko’ at Pulladigunta in Vatticheruku mandal opposing the State’s division. Private engineering colleges organised a demonstrated near NTR stadium and formed a human chain, leading to a massive traffic jam.

Revenue staff tonsure heads

Srikakulam: Traders, Revenue and Animal husbandry employees took out a massive rally from the Seven Roads Junction to Potti sriramulu statue. They formed a human chain at the statue and cleansed it with milk. The Private Medical Practitioners’ Association and Vishwabrahmins also held a rally. Municipal employees beat drums calling upon the people to join the agitation.The Animal Husbandry department staff raised slogans against Sonia Gandhi and TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao. Women cleansed Potti Sriramulu statue with milk. The Revenue staff got their heads tonsured.

Botcha Jhansi gheraoed

Vizianagaram: Activists of the Congress, TDP and YSRCP, staged protests along with members of the Samaikyandhra JAC and the Samaikyandhra Parirakshana Samithi. Transport services were paralysed. Botcha Jhansilakshmi, MP, was gheraoed by the agitators when she went to RTC complex to express solidarity with SJAC protest She left without giving any assurance on her resignation. Agitators organised a mock funeral of Sonia Gandhi and KCR and burnt their effigies. The Government Hire Vehicle Owner and Drivers Association extended support to the agitation.

Put off Tirupati trip: RTC

Tirupati: The agitation for Samaikyandhra is sure to impact on the flow of devotees to have darshan of the Lord Balaji at Tirumala as the RTC employees will strike work from the midnight of Monday. Previously the RTC employees unions used to exempt the buses going to Tirumala but this time they decided to include buses to Tirumala also in the strike. All the trade unions in RTC were participating in the agitation against the bifurcation of the state for the last ten days.

The RTC management failed to persuade the employees to withdraw their strike call. NMU leader chandraiah urged the devotees to postpone their journey claiming that entire staff would be participating in the strike.

T scribes’ bike yatra

Vijayawada: A group of journalists from Karimnagar expressed their wish to keep the State united. Journalists K Sammaiah Goud and B Rajalingam started a bike yatra from Karimnagar to Tirupati in support for Samaikyandhra.

Sammaiah Goud, addressing the media said that the Journalist Welfare Association of Karimnagar and its members opposed separation of Telangana from Andhra Pradesh as Telugu people would lose their voice in Parliament. He said that Telangana agitation was created by selfish politicians, but not by common man. Development in the State would be badly hit with bifurcation, they said. Samaikyandhra agitators welcomed the journalists at Prakasam Barrage and extended their support.