Shutdown in Andhra, Rayalseema to protest Telangana state

Hyderabad, Dec 11 : Life in parts of Andhra and Rayalaseema regions were affected Friday in response to a daylong shutdown to protest the proposed division of Andhra Pradesh.

Buses of the Andhra Pradesh Transport Corporation (APSRTC) went off the roads as political activists, students and other groups opposed to the division of the state took to the streets.

Shops, business establishments and educational institutions remained closed in most parts of the 13 districts -- nine districts of Andhra and four districts of Rayalaseema region.

In the coastal city of Visakhapatnam, and commercial hubs like Guntur, Vijayawada, Machilipatnam, Nellore, Kurnool and Kadapa, roads wore a deserted look as the APSRTC suspended all bus services.

Protesters conducted rallies raising slogans against the proposed formation of a separate Telangana state and demanded that the central government drop the proposal.

In Rayalaseema, various groups called for a shutdown to oppose the division of the state. They, however, want separate statehood for their own region in the event of the formation of a Telangana state.

Police said they have made elaborate security arrangements to prevent violence. Students of various universities in both the regions had damaged several buses during the protest on Thursday.

Telangana, which witnessed violent agitation for a separate state, is now calm. Hyderabad and nine other districts of the region have returned to normal after 11 days of protests and shutdowns.

The Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) plans to conduct a victory rally in Telangana districts to celebrate the announcement by the central government that the process of forming a separate state would be initiated by tabling a resolution in the state assembly.