Hyderabad, Aug 9: Protests continued across coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions on the ninth day against the Congress' announcement favouring bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh to create a separate Telangana state.Though several "pro-united" Andhra Pradesh outfits announced a break to the protests due to Ramzan today, rallies, sit-ins, human chains and fasts continued at several places in both the regions.
Leaders protesting against the Congress decision continued today, with former minister and MLA Dharmana Prasada Rao offering to quit his post.
Though protests across both regions against the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh have been by and large peaceful, statues of national leaders have been desecrated several times.
The police has warned that desecration of statues would be dealt with sternly. Protests and other modes of agitation by pro-united Andhra Pradesh supporters were organised in other parts of the non-Telangana regions also.
Thousands of employees from Government departments took out a rally in Anantpuram town, which also saw relay hunger strikes by people from various walks of life.
Normal life was thrown out of gear in Srikakulam district due to the ongoing anti-Telangana agitation. Relay hunger strikes, forming of human chain, rallies, burning of effigies were witnessed today in the district.
Business establishments and schools were shut and studnets took out rallies to oppose divison of the State.
Commuters faced a tough time as most of the RTC buses were confined to depots and private operators had also stopped their services.
Advocates, Government employees, teachers and workers participated in the agitation in Srikakulam district. The agitators demanded resignation of all elected representatives. with the support of students and youngsters in a large number.
In Kadapa district, a weaver, Kaki Venkateswarlu (58), died of heart attack as he was apparently anguished and depressed over the state's bifurcation, police sources said.
Rallies, dharnas, cooking food on roads, relay hunger strikes and burning of effigies marked the anti-Telangana agitation in Kadapa district. Effigies of Congress President Sonia Gandhi, party General Secretary Digvijay Singh and TRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao were burnt at several places.
Speaking in Vijayawada, former Legislator and staunch supporter of Samaikhyandhra Adusumilli Jaya Prakash appealed to the people of Andhra Pradesh to boycott Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's August 11 rally in Hyderabad.
Modi's party, BJP, a strong supporter of separate Telangna, has adopted double standards on formation of new states, he alleged.
Meanwhile, agitations in support of united AP continued for the ninth day in the coastal Krishna district and Vijayawada.
TDP leader and former Home Minister K Siva Prasad visited a relay hunger strike camp of students at Siddhardha Law College in Vijayawada.
East and West Godavari District Lawyers JAC Convener Muppalla Subba Rao alleged that the State Government is registering non-bailable cases against the agitators.
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