Andhra Pradesh - Ongole   

JAC leaders arrested for disrupting rail traffic in Prakasam district

Photo: Sreenivas Kommuri

High drama: TDP leader Karanam Balaramakrishna Murthy having a scuffle with a police constable who tried to clear the track of agitators at Ongole on Tuesday. —

ONGOLE: The Congress and TDP leaders held up four trains here on Tuesday in response to ‘rail roko’ call given by the Joint Action Committee formed to fight for unified State.

They held up Hyderabad-bound Krishna Express, Yernakulam-Patna Express, Kottayam-Hyderabad Express and Chennai-Lucknow Express trains. They held up the trains for 10-15 minutes when the police arrested the agitating leaders, dispersed the crowd and cleared the way for the train. Even as they cleared the first batch, next batch of leaders came to hold up the next train.

Heavy police bundobust was made at the railway station to foil the attempts of the agitators to hold up the trains.

They arrested as many as 56 persons, including TDP district president and former MLA Karanam Balaramakrishna Murthi, Divi Sivaram and Congress leaderBathula Brahmananda Reddy. Zilla Parishad chairperson, Katam Arunamma also participated in the agitation for some time.

When the leaders held up Kottayam Express, which does not have a regular halt at Ongole, police tried to clear the track earning the wrath of Mr Balaramakrishna Murthi leading to a scuffle.

Meanwhile, bus movement was also affected as some employees struck work in response to call given by Employees Union demanding better wages.

Andhra Pradesh Road Transport Corporation curtailed its services for want of drivers and conductors.

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