16.8.13

Vizag comes to a halt

Tens of thousands of angry protesters shut down businesses and emptied offices in the Seemandhra region as an indefinite strike called against the bifurcation of the state took hold. About 4 lakh government employees, including municipal staff, bus and cab drivers across 9 districts of coastal Andhra and four in Rayalaseema, stayed away from work, resulting in heaps of garbage strewn around in localities and vehicular traffic coming to a screeching halt. Young men, women and the aged, shouting slogans in favour of “united AP”, clashed with police at some places, even as bandh supporters went on the rampage, closing down banks, ATMs and petrol pumps across the roiled region. In several places, protesters burned effigies of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao. Government has invited the striking employees for talks.

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