Protest pressure disrupts normal life in Visakhapatnam

VISAKHAPATNAM: Nekkanti Keerthan, a student from the Hyderabad-based IIT

Ramaiah Academy

, was supposed to return to Hyderabad from Vizag on a SpiceJet flight at 4.45 pm on Thursday. But, he missed the flight.

Keerthan’s mother Ramadevi said the protests at

Vizag international airport

and restrictions by the police in the wake of the silent protest for special category status to Andhra Pradesh is the reason why her son missed the flight.

“I came to Vizag with my son as he was awarded on Republic Day by Balaji Highfields International School at Vepagunta for topping the CBSE exam in 2015-16. We were supposed to take the flight back on Thursday night. Now, due to the protests we missed the flight and have to take the bus,” Ramadevi told TOI.

Similarly, YV Narasimha Rao, governor of Visakhapatnam District Walkers’ International Club in the city, said, “The police force did not allow us to go to the club house to participate in the Republic Day celebrations. I was supposed to hoist the national flag as the governor of the club, but due to the police restrictions, I had to stay back. I will lodge a complaint with the AP Governor about the unethical practices at public venues like

RK Beach

and interruptions caused to the citizens,” Rao added.

This apart, RK beach, which generally witnesses a huge crowd during holidays, remained a mute spectator on Thursday as Section 144 of the IPC was imposed. Residents along the beach were disappointed as the police did not allow them to move out of their homes.

According to the police, nearly 1,000 preventive arrests were made particularly of youth at various police stations across Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam on Thursday to prevent them from participating in the silent protest. Movement of the vehicles was also restricted on National Highway-16.

The police force did not allow us to go to the club house to participate in the Republic Day celebrations. I was supposed to hoist the national flag as the governor of the club, but due to the police restrictions, I had to stay back. I will lodge a complaint with AP Governor about the unethical practices at public venues like RK Beach and interruptions caused to citizens