Bharat bandh: Part success in Andhra Pradesh

The efforts of non-Congress parties to force a complete shutdown in Andhra Pradesh did not yield expected results, with several towns and cities, including Hyderabad, witnessing only a partial bandh.

Several protesting political leaders were arrested by police for disrupting road traffic.

TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu was arrested in Hyderabad as he staged a sit-down on a main road.

He was later let off on bail. CPI leader Narayana, CPM’s K Raghavulu and BJP leaders Venkaiah Naidu, Bandaru Dattatreya and Kishan Reddy were also taken into preventive custody.

The response to the shutdown call was discouraging in towns and districts with a strong Congress presence. In Hyderabad, for instance, there was no disruption of life in Congress pockets, whereas shops were closed in TDP pockets.