VIJAYAWADA: In view of the call given by leaders of the Opposition party and Amaravati Parirakshana Joint Action Committee (JAC) for laying siege to the Assembly on Monday, the State police have reportedly deployed as many as 3,000 personnel in Vijayawada and the capital region to prevent agitators from creating disturbances during the Cabinet meeting and the Assembly session.
On Saturday, Vijayawada police served notices on TDP leaders, including MP Kesineni Nani and MLC Buddha Venkanna, asking them not to create tension, failing which severe action would be initiated against them.
Similarly, Guntur police also issued notices to farmers and asked them not to stage any protest on the road leading to the Assembly as prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the CrPC and Section 30 of the Police Act were in force.
In order to prevent the agitators and leaders from reaching the Assembly, check-posts will be set up at Prakasam Barrage, Benz Circle, Varadhi Junction at Krishna Lanka, Tadepalli, Undavalli, Mangalagiri and other identified sensitive locations.
Keeping in mind the disturbances in the capital villages over the past 33 days, additional forces were deployed for smooth conduct of the Cabinet meeting. As part of the security arrangements, the police have inspected all 29 villages and served notices on the villagers personally, asking them not to participate in protests, rallies, form roadblocks, lay seize to the Assembly, obstruct police officials on duty and stop MLAs from attending the Assembly session.
On Saturday, Amaravati Parirakshana JAC reiterated its stand and announced that it would stage protests against Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s plan on bifurcating the capital, by organising ‘Chalo Assembly’, ‘Jail Bharo’ and ‘Raasta Roko’.
In a review meeting in Guntur on Sunday, South Coastal Zone-Guntur range Inspector General of Police (IGP) Vineet Brijlal instructed all SPs and officers on the ground to take all measures to ensure smooth conduct of the Assembly session and safety of the members.
"The government is likely to take many crucial decisions during the three-day session and police officers should be on alert and take all precautionary measures to maintain law and order and avoid any untoward incident," the IG told the policemen.
Three-tier security arrangements were placed in Venkatapalem, Mandadam and Velagapudi for the chief minister and special police parties, Octopus teams, dog squad, bomb disposal squad and intelligence security wing were also deployed. Later in the evening, CM’s security group conducted a convoy trial run from Jagan’s residence in Tadepalli to the Assembly.
Meanwhile, the indefinite protests of farmers against the plan to shift the capital from Amaravati entered 33rd day. As part of the protests, women carrying ‘pongal’ reached Kanaka Durga temple.
Traffic restrictions in place in Vijayawada
Vijayawada police on Sunday restricted entry to Prakasam Barrage and imposed traffic diversions. Vehicles from Gollapudi, Bhavanipuram and Vidyadharapuram will be diverted to Kaleswara Rao Market via Sitara Centre, Milk Factory and Chittinagar.
Vehicles from Eluru Road and MG Road will be diverted at Bandar Locks and can reach National Highway via Kanaka Durga Varadhi. The police also said heavy vehicles will be diverted at Ibrahimpatnam,
Hanuman Junction and Machilipatnam. In a release, Vijayawada city commissioner of police Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao urged the public not to take part in the agitations called by Amaravati Parirakshana Joint Action Committee. He also warned that protesters would be taken into custody for creating disturbances