AP: Non-Telangana areas erupt in protests

Widespread protests broke out in non-Telangana regions observing a day-long bandh on Friday to protest the division of the state with agitators damaging buses, staging demonstrations and resorting to road blockades.

In East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh, TDP and Congress activists accompanied by students shouted slogans against TRS chief K Chandrasekhar Rao, demanding a united Andhra.

Agitators burnt effigies of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Chief Minister K Rosaiah. The day-long 'Samkhya Andhra bandh' has called by agitators in Andhra and Rayalseema regions.

Incidents of stoning buses were reported from coastal Andhra region and protestors took to streets and damaged a Bhadrachalam-bound bus and obstructed ONGC workers at Amalapuram town in East Godavari district.

They also set afire bus tyres on the national highway to disrupt traffic movement in the district, reports from Rajahmundhry said.

All educational institutes and business establishments remained closed in East Godavari district. Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport (APSRTC) cancelled transport services of over 800 buses here as a precautionary measure.

Rail traffic in some parts of the coastal Andhra and Rayalseema was also affected due to bandh and security has been beefed up to prevent any untoward incident.