Protesting the
arrest of Telugu Desam president N Chandrababu Naidu, who was staging an indefinite hunger fast for the cause of farmers since last Friday, the TDP rank and file called for state-wide bandh on Monday.
Raising slogans against the state government, TDP workers in all 23 districts of the state staged dharnas and rallies and burnt chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy's effigies.
Sensing trouble, the State Road Transport Corporation withdrew buses in some districts. Schools and colleges have declared a holiday, and reports of commercial and business establishments downing their shutters are coming in.
Banks and state government offices were functioning with thin attendance.
TDP leader Payyavula Keshav stated that the party was considering introducing a no-confidence motion, if necessary, against the "anti-farmer government" in the state.
Communist Party of India and Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPI-M) have supported the bandh call.
The TDP leaders alleged that the state police have not treated the Opposition Leader, who had served as chief minister for 9 years, well.
TDP legislator Errabali Dayakar Rao stated that the manner in which Naidu and others were arrested reminded him of the black days of the Emergency.
Meanwhile, senior party leaders have called for an emergency party meeting to discuss the situation that emerged after the arrest of Naidu. The meeting will be held at NTR Trust Bhavan on Monday evening. Leaders from the Left parties are expected to attend the meeting.
The meeting will take a decision on the strategy to be adopted by the party to protest Naidu's arrest, and it is speculated that the TDP will give a 'Chalo Hyderabad' call to its supporters on Tuesday.
Courtesy: INN