RailEnquiry

VIJAYAWADA: United Andhra Pradesh supporters on Saturday went on a rampage and blocked roads, burnt vehicles, attacked properties of Congress leaders besides disrupting train and power services to protest the Centre move to go ahead with Telangana formation despite their two-month agitation.Thousands of vehicles were stranded on highways as protesters blocked them by burning tyres on the second day of the blockade of roads.Three vehicles were burnt in temple town of Tirupati, where the annual Brahmotsavams began on Saturday. The agitation had its impact on the Dasara festivities at Vijayawada's famous Sri Kanakadurga temple.Train services were disrupted at many places resulting in delay of trains by up to four hours. Several trains were stopped at Kondayapalem railway gate on Nellore outskirts as agitators protested for about two hours.

Superfast trains, including Janashatabdi Express, were stopped forcing other trains on the section to stop at different stations.

Sources said many trains on Chennai-Kolkata and Chennai-Hyderabad line were running behind schedule as they were stopped at Ongole, Chirala, Tenali, and Vijayawada.

Legislator K Gurunatha Reddy led protesters, who stopped trains on the Chennai-Bangalore section at Anantapur. The protesters burnt tyres on the track to stop trains besides blocking the station manager's chamber.

The New Delhi-Bangalore superfast express was among the trains stopped at Anantapur station for about two hours. Police did not use force on the directions of chief minister Kiran Kumar Reddy and DGP Prasada Rao.

In Prakasam, agitators burnt rubber bags and tyres on railway tracks near Chirala to spot trains on Chennai-Howrah and Chennai-Delhi sections.

In Vizianagaram, protesters clashed with police as they attacked properties of Andhra Pradesh Congress chief Botsa Satyanarayana and other Congress leaders besides stoning the district collector's office.

A Congress MP Harsha Kumar-run college in Rajahmundry was ransacked and its furniture and buses were damaged. Kumar's sons and their security guard clashed with the protestors as police could not control the situation. They were later arrested and booked.

A 35-year-old man suffered 75% burns as he set himself on fire to protest Telangana formation in Prakasam district.

The striking APGenco employees closed power plants hitting generation of 3,000 mw, which plunged over 300 villages in six coastal districts into darkness on Friday night.

They even tried to snap power supply to the railways to pressurize the Centre. Senior officials are closely monitoring the situation and trying to keep railway supply lines intact till the strike ends on Sunday morning.

Elsewhere in Seemandhra, a total bandh was observed for the second day as all commercial activities were halted.