The Visakhapatnam turned into a police fortress and taking all precautions to prevent any protest seeking Special Category Status (SCS). Prominent Tollywood producer and director Tammareddy Bharadwaj and hero Sampoornesh Babu, besides film critic Mahesh Kathi were taken into custody by the police as soon as they came out from the Airport.
Though several film personalities extended their support to the protest, only these seems to be arrived Visakhapatnam to participate personally. By imposing prohibitory orders under Section 144, a virtual security blanket was thrown along the beach to prevent anyone from reaching there. Even morning walkers were stopped from entering into the beach.
The police are frisking every person and checking every vehicle entering into the city. A spate of arrests have already taken place. Protesting students were dispersed at several places. Several YSRCP activists have already been put under house arrest.
Meanwhile, at several places in the state, solidarity marches and protests are being organised. Police taking people into custody wherever they resorts to some form of protests. At Tirupati, MLA R K Roja protested the Government’s repression and said the Government is ready to host bikini shows on the beach, but not special category status protests.
Police resorted to a mild lathi charge at JNTU in Kakinada to disperse agitating students. In this connection about 100 students were taken into custody. They also stopped students at Payakaraopet, when they were going to Visakhapatnam from Kakinada in four buses. Several persons were also taken into custody at Prakasam barrage in Vijayawada.
Several postings in social media looks critical against Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s repressive attitude towards `peaceful’
Protests. In view of police repression, some postings indicating that the venue was changed from RK Beech to VUDA Park. However, police are not allowing youth to assemble at any public place.
