Republic Day turned out to be a day of high drama and palpable tension in the port city of Visakhapatanam as the police turned the picturesque Ramakrishna Beach into a fortress to foil a Jallikattu agitation-inspired “silent rally” called by “Andhra Youth to press their demand of special category status for Andhra Pradesh.
The entire stretch of the beach in the city was sealed by the police by putting up barricades and other obstacles since last evening as a Red Alert was sound. Nobody was allowed to venture into the area as armed policemen were deployed in the entire city.
Hundreds of youth were taken in to custody and the roads wore a deserted look. Section 144 were imposed and all the shops and business establishments were closed.
Popular Telugu actor and founder of Jana Sena Party Pawan Kalyan’s announcement of support to the rally and cause of Special Category Status (SCS) to Andhra Pradesh has electrified the atmosphere and enthused the youth of the region.
Apart from YSR Congress, other political parties including Congress, left parties and the lok Satta have also announced their support to the program.
In view of several important personalities including politicians and film stars announcing their support to the protest program, police laid the siege to the city airport to prevent them from entering the city.
YSR Congress President YS Jagamohan Reddy and other leaders of his party were stopped at the airport soon after they arrived from Hyderabad in the afternoon. When the police officials did not allow the group to leave the airport, they staged a sit in protest on the runway.
Jagan was accompanied by the party MP Vijaysai Reddy, and other leaders Ambati Rambabu and YV Subba Reddy. They were scheduled to take part in the rally from RK Beach to YSR’s statue.
State director general of police R Sambhasiva Rao was also present at the airport to supervise the security arrangements as the Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was also scheduled to fly in for the two day CII Summit starting tomorrow.
“The strict security arrangements were made as a routine on the occasion of Republic Day”, the DGP said adding that there was no need for the people from outside to come to Visakahapatanam to protest on the issue of SCS. “They can protest at their respective places”, he said urging the protest to bring a bad name to Visakhapatanam when the city was going to host an international investors conference.
The city police commissioner Yoganand rejected the request for permission to hold the rally on the ground of threat of breach of peace. Pointing out that the city was hosting a big conference of the investors from across country and abroad he said police can not take the risk of any trouble.
Restrictions on the protest program evoked sharp reaction from the film actor Pawan Kalyan. He alleged that the ruling party leaders were mortgaging the protest for the sake of contracts of Polavaram project.
“If Central Govt & State Govt stops the peaceful protest-tomorrow then be ready for a long drawn “Battle of Andhras” for their rights(sic)”, he tweeted on the even of the protest day.
On the criticism by the union minister Sujana Choudhary on the protest, the actor advised him not to provoke the students.
Earlier in the day film actor Poornesh Babu and director Tammareddy Bharadwaj were also taken into custody at the airport by the police when they arrived from Hyderabad.
Poornesh Babu said, “though I belong to Telangana I am here to support the special category status for Andhra Pradesh as it will help the state in many ways”, he said.
Bharadwaj regretted that he was not able to participate in the rally because of the restrictions imposed by the police. “The restrictions of the police mean that the protest has been successful”, he said.
Protests were also held in Vijaywada and other major cities of the state. The opposition parties were planning similar programs in all the district headquarters from tomorrow.