‘Bharat Bandh’ partial, peaceful in coastal districts of AP

The Bharat bandh call given by various Dalit organizations opposing the classification of Scheduled Castes, evoked mixed response in Guntur, Eluru, Konaseema, Krishna, Tirupati and other districts on Wednesday.
In Guntur, the activists took out rallies in Guntur and Tenali to enforce the bandh. However the response to the bandh was partial as most of the commercial establishments were open in many areas. The RTC buses were off the road for some time but they played as usual. However the activists led by their leaders blocked the roads at some places obstructing the RTC buses. The activists deboarded the passengers and detained the RTC buses on the roads at some places.
Addressing the gathering, the JAC leaders alleged that in a bid to divide the people of Scheduled Castes, the SCs were classified as APCD groups. It is aimed to divide the Mala and Madiga castes people in the state by implementing the classification, they alleged and warned of intensifying agitation, unless the classification of Scheduled Castes repealed.  
They accused Manda Krishna Madiga of hatching a conspiracy to divide Mala and Madiga castes people on the behest of Chandrababu Naidu. Since independence, the population of Scheduled Castes has increased considerably and the reservations should be enhanced as per their population radio, they demanded.
In Tirupati, the bandh was partial and some Dalit leaders obstructed the RTC buses in the bus stand here. They staged a darna at the Ambedkar statue raising slogans opposing the classification of the SCs. They recalled that earlier, the Supreme Court dismissed the petition on the classification of Scheduled Castes. The Dalit leaders stated that the Mala and Madiga community people have been living like brothers for the last seven decades but suddenly they are being divided.
In Amalapuram in Konaseema district, the activists burnt the effigy of Narendra Modi in Mummidivaram. The RTC buses did not come out of depots for a few hours as activists staged darnas in front of the depots. The bandh was partial in Amalapuram, Rajolu, Narasapuram and Mandapeta towns.
The activists enforced the bandh by forcing the shop owners to down shutters. The banks also remained closed for some time and the education institutions declared a holiday today.  YSRCP leaders including former MLA Rapaka Varaparasad and Gollapalli Surya Rao were among those who enforced the bandh.
In Nuzvid the bandh was peaceful but partial. The schools and college going students and office goers were seen going in auto rickshaws as the RTC buses were off the road in the morning hours.
However, an untoward incident took place during the bandh at Bandamcharla village in T Narasapuram as an activist was stabbed by a hotel owner when bandh was being enforced. The victim suffered bleeding injuries and he was admitted to the GGH at Chintalapudi where his condition is said to be out of danger.
In Machilipatnam, the bandh was peaceful and partial. The commercial establishments in the busy areas remained closed and RTC buses were off the road for a few hours. The activists of various Dalit organizations staged darna at the bus depots obstructing the buses.  DSP Abdul Subhan said that no untoward incident took place anywhere in the Krishna district.