AP Sees Bandh Against Price Rise

A strike was on today in the state as part of the nation-wide Bharat Bandh, organized in protest against the UPA government's recent decision to raise gasoline, diesel, and fertilizer prices. In Andhra Pradesh, it was conducted by the Opposition in the state Legislative Assembly - including Telugu Desam Party (TDP), Communist Party of India (CPI), Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M), Forward Block and Revolutionary Socialist Party (RSP).

As a measure of safety, the APSRTC had suspended some of its services in the state capital.

In Hyderabad, activists of TDP, CPI, CPI-M and their allies held protests in the city and urged people to take part in the bandh as well. Mild tension prevailed at RTC X Roads, when party workers from TDP, CPI and CPI-M blocked traffic. CPI state secretary K Narayana and CPI-M state secretary B V Raghavulu were arrested. Uppal saw TDP leaders, led by former minister T Devender Goud, carry out a motorcycle rally to enforce the shutdown.

Elsewhere in the state, leaders and workers of ppposition parties staged sit-ins in front of bus depots of the Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) - at places that included Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. The police arrested activists in Ongole town in Prakasam district when they stopped RTC buses from plying. Dozens of protesters were also taken into custody in Nalgonda.

Vehicular traffic came to a standstill on National Highway 9 near Vijayawada as leaders and agitators were squatting on the road.

Fortunately, no untoward incidents have been reported so far from any part of the state.

TDP Chief N Chandrababu Naidu, CPI State secretary K Narayana and his CPI-M counterpart B V Raghavulu, played major roles during the execution of the hartal. Blaming the policies of the central and state governments for the price rise, Narayana demanded that the government immediately reduce VAT on food items in Andhra Pradesh.

Chief Minister K Rosaiah said yesterday that there was no need for such a hartal as far as Andhra Pradesh was concerned. According to him, efforts by the goverment such as the food security move must be appreciated. He also said that political parties, particularly the TDP and Left Parties, should suggest ways to further control the prices instead of politicising the issue.

The hartal was also carried out prominently in the states of Assam, Kerala and West Bengal, among others.