Tension mounted on the National Highway (NH) 16 between Guntur and Vijayawada as locals gathered in large numbers protesting against the proposal of the Government of Andhra Pradesh to establish Visakhapatnam as Executive Capital. More than 5,000 people from various parts of the district converged at Chinakakani, opposite Haailand Resort, and squatted on the highway. Caught unawares, the police forces moved in to quell the situation.
Wrath of protestors
Traffic was held up for more than four hours on the NH and hundreds of trucks and cars were left stranded. Police forces were deployed in large numbers and temporary barricades have been set up on the highway.
The situation continues to remain volatile on the NH. Ministers and MLAs of the ruling government faced the wrath of protestors, who hurled stones on the car of Macherla MLA Pinnelli Ramakrishna Reddy and blocked the convoy of Minister for Education A. Suresh. A large number of vehicles are still stranded on the NH.
Leaders confined to homes
In Guntur, most of the TDP leaders were placed under preventive custody in their residences. Member of Parliament, Guntur, Galla Jayadev, former minister Prathipati Pulla Rao, former Minister Nakka Ananda Babu were confined to their houses.
Inspector General of Police, Guntur, Vineet Brijlal, Superintendent of Police, Guntur Urban, P.H.D. Ramakrishna are monitoring the situation even as the situation in Guntur town continues to be tense.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Y.S Jagan Mohan Reddy left for the Secretariat at Velagapudi from his residence at Tadepalli around noon. Police personnel were deployed in large numbers all along the road. All commercial establishments were forcibly shut down and police erected fencing along sensitive areas.
