Opposition parties bundh call gets poor response

Condemns arrest of the VSP oustees

January 25, 2008
Gajuwaka, Visakhapatnam

The bandh call given by the Opposition parties and trade unions, in protest against the arrest of the oustees of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant (VSP) received partial response in and around Gajuwaka here today. The police successfully prevented the evacuees from staging any dharnas and rasta rooks in the city. Nearly 300 oustees are arrested yesterday when they all demanding priority over others in recruitment for various posts in the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, trespassed on the Steel Plant and damaged the windowpanes of the administrative building.

However, some cinema halls did not screen morning shows, but services resumed during the later part of the day. While many political parties made a vain bid to shut down the commercial establishments, the police foiled the plans of the activists of Telugu Desam Party, CPI and CPM to stage rasta-roko at Gajuwaka and at Jagadamba Junction.

The police will continue picketing and impose Section 144 of IPC in the areas of Gajuwaka, Malkapuram, New Port, Steel Plant and those under the purview of Parawada police station limits till January 30, 2008.