Telangana shutdown: Andhra Govt. asks police to ensure security

HYDERABAD - The Andhra Pradesh Government has instructed the state police to prevent untoward incidents during a shutdown call given by the opposition Telangana Joint Action Committee (TJAC) on Saturday.

The Telangana Joint Action Committee (T-JAC) is observing the shutdown in the Telangana region against the ‘Odarpu Yatra’ that was being led led by former Chief Minister Y S Rajshekhar Reddy’s son and Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy.

Police said all preventive measures have been put in place to avoid any untoward incident in the region, including taking Reddy into custody.

The Director General of the Andhra Pradesh Police, R R Girish Kumar, said security forces have been asked to take stern action against those indulging in violence during the shutdown.

On Friday, 24 people, including eight policemen, were injured in violence that broke out during Reddy’s Yatra in Telangana.

Reddy has said he will continue with his week-long ‘Odarpu Yatra.’

The Yatra was to begin from Mahbubabad in Warangal District on Friday, but opposition activists resisted Reddy’s plan.

Holding Reddy responsible for the violence in Warangal, the Telangana Joint Action Committee (T-JAC) has called for a shutdown in ten districts of the region.

Meanwhile, incidents of pro-Telangana activists resorting to road blockades and stone pelting have been reported from Warangal and Nalgonda and Hyderabad.

Reddy’s followers created road blockades in Tirupati and set two bogies of Padmavathi Express on fire in Kadapa.

They have also given a call for a shutdown in Kadapa District in protest against his arrest. (ANI)