Andhra Pradesh govt employees’ \'Chalo Vijayawada\' on despite police restrictions
Vijayawada: The protesting government employees held a Chalo Vijayawada rally amidst police restrictions on Thursday, seeking cancellation of the 11th PRC and solving of other issues.
Tension prevailed for some time when government employees erupted onto BRTS Road by removing police barricades. Initially, the police did not allow protestors onto the road but they arrived suddenly in large numbers from 10am; and the police lost control over the situation.
BRTS Road resembled a sea of humanity as the agitating employees and teachers from across the state participated in the 'Chalo Vijayawada' rally, seeking immediate withdrawal of the "dark orders" related to pay revision.
Police installed pickets on the borders of every district and imposed restrictions under Section 30 of the police act and section 144 Cr.PC on BRTS Road, and later in entire Vijayawada city. Police took several leaders into preventive custody and put several others into house arrest.
Top leaders of the PRC struggle committee had disappeared from the scene and switched off their mobiles since Wednesday night and the police failed to trace their whereabouts.
The drama started at APNGOs Home in Gandhinagar area adjacent to BRTS Road. Government employees in large numbers came out from the offices and started to fill the BRTS Road. Government employees individually and in small groups started coming to BRTS Road from Alankar center.
The police put up many barricades to restrain their entry to the BRTS Road but in vain. However, employees including teachers erupted onto the road by forcefully removing the police barricades.
The employees said that they gave a slip to the police posing themselves as workers, coolies, farmers, beggars and patients by changing their normal attire and reached Vijayawada from various districts by trains, buses, cars and other vehicles.
Several employees reached Vijayawada city two days ago, stayed in relatives’ houses while other employees came to the city by specially hired buses in the guise of attending relatives’ marriages by displaying marriage banners on such vehicles.
PRC struggle committee leaders Venkatrami Reddy, Bopparaju Venkateswarlu, Bandi Srinivas, Suryanarayana and others came out from their hideouts, rushed to BRTS Road after 11am and addressed the protesting government employees.
