Communist Party along with various other groups called for a Bandh, for promising and not giving a special status to Andhra Pradesh. The promise was made during the bifurcation of state last year.

Along with the CPI workers, activists of Congress, YSR Congress and other Opposition parties, extended support and called for the bandh, held rallies and other forms of protest in parts of the state.

They charged the NDA government at the Centre with backing out on its election promise of special status to AP and the TDP government in the state.

All the  Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) were stalled at the depots at several towns in the state.

The effect of Bandh in Andhra Pradesh

Commercial establishments,  schools, colleges, including petrol bunks, have been closed at some places.

Police made extensive arrangements to ensure that no untoward incident takes place and policemen were maintaining vigil on important roads in different towns.

During state bifurcation last year, the promise of special status was made to Seemandhra (new Andhra Pradesh) by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in Parliament.

The opposition parties alleged that TDP and BJP, who share power at the AP and Centre, have not kept their promise since they came to power one year ago.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi paid heed and extended his support to the special status issue of Andhra Pradesh during his recent tour.

The special status promise to AP took an emotional turn with a 40-year-old man, said to be a Congress worker, attempting self-immolation at a public meeting organised by the party on Saturday last in Tirupati. He later succumbed to the serious burns he sustained in the incident.

The main Opposition YSR Congress, which held a protest at Jantar Mantar in Delhi yesterday seeking special status, called for a bandh separately on August 28.

(with agency inputs)

By Sree Teja