Curfew in Botsa town

Visakhapatnam/Hyderabad: Curfew was imposed in Vizianagaram on Saturday after two days of unrelenting violence and attacks on government properties and those belonging to PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana, accompanied by looting of shops. Curfew was imposed at the fag end of the 48-hour Seemandhra bandh, called to protest the Centre's decision to bifurcate the state. The bandh was total elsewhere in the region. IG (coastal) D. Tirumala Rao said, “Curfew was imposed at 9.45 pm as the situation went out of hand. There was arson and looting of shops in the heart of the city.” The senior officer is camping in the town. He said jeeps parked at the R&B guest house were set on fire by Samaikyandhra protesters. A police jeep and a civilian motorbike were also set ablaze, explaining the reasons why curfew had been imposed. The District Cooperative Central Bank was also burnt down. Special forces deployed Director-general of police B. Prasada Rao said that 30 companies of Central paramilitary forces had arrived in the state, to bolster the 45 companies that are already on the ground. “The situation is under control except in Vizianagaram and efforts are being made to curb the violence,” he said. There were repeated attempts to attack Satyanarayana’s residence in the town. Thousands of protesters turned their energies on his college, lodge and stone-crushing unit in Gajapathinagaram apart from his residence. Protesters pelted stones at his residence even though the area was crawling with police, and repeatedly tried to force their way into his house. Police caned the protesters and lobbed tear gas shells as many as 26 times. Protesters also pelted stones on the residence of Srinivas, a close relative who representative of Botsa. Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy directed chief secretary P.K. Mohanty, the DGP and senior officials make all efforts to maintain law and order in Seemandhra, particularly in Vizianagaram. He directed stringent action against anti-social elements who were vandalising government and private properties. The government deployed Eluru Range DIG Vikram Singh Maan as special officer to monitor the situation in the tense town. Visakhapatnam DIG P. Umapathi rushed to the spot and reviewed the situation. Elsewhere, road transport came to a virtual halt and shops and business established remained shut for the second day in Seemandhra region. Protesters blocked state and national highways and disrupted traffic. Even traffic from Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Odisha was affected. Schools and colleges in all 13 districts have been closed. The agitators also stopped private vehicles carrying pilgrims to Tirumala for the Brahmatsovam.