Hyderabad, May 28 (IANS) The YSR Congress party's call for a daylong Andhra Pradesh shutdown Monday to protest the arrest of its leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy evoked partial response.
Barring minor incidents of stone pelting on buses, the situation in the state since the arrest Sunday night was peaceful, police said. Jagan, as the Kadapa MP is known, was arrested on grounds of amassing illegal wealth.
Jagan's native Kadapa district and some parts of Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions were tense. A partial shutdown was being observed in these regions while there was hardly impact in Telangana region.
The shutdown call evoked little response in Hyderabad, though the city turned into a garrison since the arrest. Armed policemen and personnel from Rapid Action Force (RAF) were deployed across the state capital to prevent any untoward incident.
Prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or more persons are already in force in Hyderabad, Kadapa and other parts of the state.
Buses of state-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) were off the roads and shops remained closed in many districts of Rayalaseema and Andhra regions.
Police had arrested dozens of leaders and activists of YSR party since early Monday when they tried to force closure of shops or staged road blockades. Those arrested in coastal Andhra include former minister P. Subhash Chandra Bose, party spokesman Ambati Rambabu and party candidates for June 12 by-elections to 18 assembly seats. Another former minister B. Srinivas Reddy was kept under house arrest.
YSR party alleged that a peaceful shutdown was being observed but the government was using force to resort to indiscriminate arrests.
Party leaders Y.V. Subba Reddy and Baji Goverdhan Reddy, who were arrested from Dilkusha Guest House last night, remained in police custody.
