Anantapur, December 19: The movement for unified Andhra Pradesh took a violent turn after police disrupted the indefinite hunger strike camps of various leaders in the city on Friday.
Protesting the action of the police, the agitators set fire to furniture in the Railway Kalyanamandapam. The furniture and the electrical wiring were reduced to ashes. Fire-fighting personnel rushed to the spot and brought the flames under control. Police dispersed the agitators. BSNL cables kept outside a godown on Gooty road were also set ablaze. The flames were brought under control by the fire personnel.
Earlier, police swooped down on the camp of the fasting Telugu Desam leaders. They arrested three MLAs — Paritala Sunitha, B.K. Parthasaradhy and Palle Raghunath Reddy, whose indefinite hunger strike entered the fourth day and shifted them to hospital. Their arrest met with stiff resistance from supporters, but the police overpowered them. The three MLAs are reportedly continuing their fast.
The police also disrupted the indefinite fast by Dharmavaram MLA Venkatarama Reddy. Elsewhere in the region, fasting TDP MLA Ch. Prabhakar in Eluru and ex-MLA N. Varadarajulu Reddy in Proddatur were also forcibly removed. In Vijayawada, there were stray incidents of violence.
Inspector General of Police, A.R. Anuradha, told reporters in Hyderabad that sporadic violent incidents were reported from the two regions which witnessed protests at as many as 397 places. The police spokesperson said Government offices in Kakinada and Ravulapalem and Praja Rajyam office in Mahabubnagar were set on fire while an APSRTC canteen, a hotel, a petrol bunk in Ongole, electricity office in Chirala, MRO office in Nuzvid and Sandhya Theatre in Hyderabad were attacked.
-Agencies