MRPS protests continue in AP
Violent protests over the death of a Madiga Reservation Porata Samiti (MRPS) activist continued unabated in several districts of Andhra Pradesh on Monday, Samiti activists torched two state-owned transport buses and a Congress office.
The MRPS activists, who are seeking Scheduled Caste status for the community, also defaced statues of leaders in various parts of the state.
Police sources said the activists set an Road Transport Corporation (RTC) bus on fire at Gampalagudem in Krishna district and another at Cherukupalli in Nalgonda district.
At Nandigama in Krishna district, they torched the local Congress office. A motorbike and an autorickshaw were also gutted in the incident.
The agitators continued to enforce a bandh in Osmania, Andhra, Acharya Nagarjuna and Kakatiya universities in protest against the death of Surender Madiga, who died of severe burns he sustained while allegedly attempting to set ablaze Gandhi Bhawan – the state Congress office in Hyderabad on February 28.
The demonstrators also vandalized a staue of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi in the Ravulapalem area of East Godavari district.
At Huzurnagar in Nalgonda district, a statue of Indira Gandhi in black by the activists as a mark of protest over the Congress’ failure to enact a legislation in Parliament for the classification of Scheduled Castes.
In Karimnagar, the MRPS men damaged a statue of former Assembly Speaker D Sripada Rao.
Police said demonstrators attacked the panchayat office at Jawahar Nagar in Ranga Reddy district and destroyed the furniture.
At Jaggaiahpet in Krishna district, incensed MRPS activists put up roadblocks on the Machilipatnam-Hyderabad National Highway-9 disrupting traffic on the busy route.
Fearing attacks by MRPS, RTC officials suspended bus services at Nuziveedu depot in Krishna district, police sources added.
