The public agitation led by the YSR Congress Party demanding a CBI investigation into the fraudulent Mega DSC and the resignation of Education Minister Nara Lokesh intensified across Andhra Pradesh on Monday. After successfully conducting three days of relay hunger strikes, YSRCP leaders, students and unemployed youth took out protest rallies across the State despite widespread police restrictions and preventive action.
Police made extensive attempts to disrupt the rallies by imposing restrictions from early morning, setting up barricades and stopping senior YSRCP leaders, constituency in-charges and party workers from reaching protest venues. Thousands of police personnel were deployed across several constituencies. Despite these restrictions, students, youth and YSRCP cadres continued the demonstrations, and rallies were held in constituencies across the State.
In Pulivendula, police resorted to a lathi-charge on YSRCP workers who were proceeding peacefully to submit a memorandum to the RDO. In Muchukota, Anantapur district, former minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy and Anantha Venkatarami Reddy were taken into police custody. In Kamalapuram, a protest rally was held under constituency in-charge Naren Ramanjul Reddy, where attempts by police to stop the programme on the ground that permission had not been granted led to tension.
In Tirupati, Bhumana Karunakar Reddy led a protest rally. In Gudivada, former minister Kodali Nani was placed under house arrest, while YSRCP cadres were stopped in Avanigadda. Near Marriott Junction in Visakhapatnam, K.K. Raju and other YSRCP workers were arrested. In East Godavari district, Jakkampudi Raja was placed under house arrest.
In Vijayawada, Devinenni Avinash and party workers attempted to proceed in a rally from his residence despite police efforts to stop them. Barricades were erected at several points, but YSRCP cadres crossed the restrictions and continued forward. Tension also prevailed near the YSRCP office in Vijayawada Central, where police imposed restrictions and barricaded access to prevent party workers from reaching the office.
In Guntur, former minister Ambati Rambabu led a massive rally from Shankar Vilas to Lodge Centre and distributed roses to police personnel during the protest. In Tuni, a protest rally was held under the leadership of Dadisetti Raja and Dwarampudi, while police stopped Kannababu’s bike rally near Turangi. In Pithapuram, a protest rally was organised under Vanga Geetha. In Cheepurupalli, Vizianagaram district, police stopped the rally led by Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Botsa Satyanarayana. Botsa staged a sit-in on the road, declaring that the rally would be held despite the restrictions.
In Palakonda, MLC Vikranth and other YSRCP leaders were placed under house arrest, while Palavalasa Dhavaleswara Rao and Duppada Papinaidu were arrested and shifted to the police station. A large police force was deployed at the YSR Kadapa district YSRCP office, where Amjad Basha and Ramachandra Reddy were stopped. YSRCP leaders staged a sit-in, insisting that they would proceed with the rally.
At Ponnur Island Centre in Guntur district, police removed a tent erected by YSRCP, leading to a scuffle between party workers and police. In Visakhapatnam North, police took away the keys of motorcycles belonging to YSRCP workers in an attempt to stop the bike rally, drawing strong protest from Visakhapatnam district party president K.K. Raju.
In Parvathipuram Manyam district, police served notices on YSRCP leaders and deployed heavily outside the residence of former deputy chief minister Pushpa Srivani at Chinamerangi. Several leaders were arrested near the YSRCP office in Parvathipuram. In Vijayawada, police stopped former MLA Malladi Vishnu from proceeding with the protest programme.
In Gangadhara Nellore constituency of Chittoor district, a large protest was organised under YSRCP constituency in-charge Krupalakshmi against the DSC irregularities. Former deputy chief minister Narayanaswamy and Krupalakshmi were arrested by police during the programme.
In Arilova, Visakhapatnam, YSRCP cadres staged a sit-in protest before the YSR statue. MLC Varudu Kalyani and East constituency coordinator Molli Apparao were arrested by police. Kalyani questioned how the police could obstruct a peaceful rally and strongly condemned the restrictions imposed on the protest.
At Jagadamba Junction in Visakhapatnam, police stopped the YSRCP rally and arrested former MLA Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar. Scuffles and heated arguments broke out between police and YSRCP leaders as they attempted to continue the programme. In Alluri Sitharama Raju district, police served notices on Araku MLA Matsyalingam, warning that cases would be registered if a rally was conducted without permission. Similar notices were served in Anakapalli on constituency coordinator Malasala Bharat and former MP Satyavathi, stating that permission had not been granted for the rally.
In Vizianagaram, police stopped a peaceful rally led by Tale Rajesh against the DSC irregularities. A heavy police force was deployed outside the party office in Rajam, but YSRCP cadres, student-wing leaders and unemployed youth still gathered in large numbers.
In Kuppam, Chittoor district, TDP leaders attempted to move towards the residence of MLC Bharat, while police placed Bharat under house arrest. In Chittoor, a large protest demonstration was held under the leadership of Bhumana Karunakar Reddy and Abhinay Reddy. In YSR district, police stopped former MLA Settippalli Raghurami Reddy at a function hall, citing lack of permission for the rally, and arrested him.
In Chandragiri constituency, Tirupati district, thousands of YSRCP leaders, workers and supporters gathered at Nagalamma Junction under constituency in-charge Chevireddy Mohith Reddy and held a protest rally demanding the resignation of Education Minister Nara Lokesh over the DSC irregularities.
In Nellore City, YSRCP organised a massive protest rally against the DSC irregularities under the leadership of MLC Parvathareddy Chandrasekhar Reddy. Former minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy, along with a large number of students and unemployed youth, participated in the programme.
In Kurnool, police attempted to stop the YSRCP rally and obstructed former MP Butta Renuka and S.V. Vijaya Manohari. Party leaders and workers raised slogans against the Chandrababu-led coalition government. In Adoni, former MLA Sai Prasad Reddy and MLC Dr Madhusudhan led a large rally from the YSRCP office to Srinivasa Bhavan.
In Gajapathinagaram, Vizianagaram district, police stopped the rally planned under the leadership of Botsa Appalanarasayya over the DSC irregularities. In Pedakurapadu constituency of Palnadu district, former MLA Namburu Sankara Rao led a protest rally at Krosuru demanding the immediate resignation of Education Minister Nara Lokesh. In Chilakaluripet, former minister Vidadala Rajini led a protest rally.
In Penamaluru, Krishna district, a rally was organised under constituency in-charge Devabhaktuni Chakravarthi. In Pedana, constituency in-charge Uppala Ramu led a protest rally attended by Krishna district ZP Chairperson Uppala Harika and party cadres.
In Jaggayyapeta, NTR district, constituency coordinator Tanneeru Nageswara Rao led a march from the party office to the Ambedkar statue. YSRCP leaders later staged a road sit-in protesting repeated police attempts to obstruct the rally. In Gannavaram, former MLA Vallabhaneni Vamsi was served notices and leaders preparing for the DSC protest were stopped, with heavy police deployment around the YSRCP office.
In Machilipatnam, constituency in-charge Perni Kittu led a protest rally. In Pamarru, a rally led by Kaile Anil Kumar continued despite police attempts to stop it. In Nandigama, former MLA Dr Monditoka Jagan Mohan Rao led a massive rally.
In Bhimavaram, West Godavari district, MLC Koyye Moshen Raju and YSRCP coordinator Chinnamilli Venkat Rayudu led a large bike rally. Despite police restrictions, party cadres and supporters turned out in significant numbers.
In Narasapuram, a rally was held under the leadership of district president Mudunuri Prasada Raju, with Barre Sri Venkataramana and party cadres participating. In Tanuku, West Godavari district, YSRCP cadres marched from Polytechnic College Centre to Narendra Centre. Leaders Mudunuri Muralikrishna Raju, Kottu Nagu, Guduri Uma Bala, district student-wing president Abhishek and other party workers participated.
In Bhimili constituency, Visakhapatnam, police imposed restrictions on the YSRCP protest rally and arrested constituency coordinator Majji Srinivasa Rao. In Atmakur, Nandyal district, police stopped a rally led by former Srisailam MLA Silpa Chakrapani Reddy, following which YSRCP cadres staged a road sit-in on the Kurnool–Guntur National Highway. In Pathikonda, Kurnool district, students joined a protest under former MLA Sridevi. In Kakinada, former MLA Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar Reddy led a rally demanding a CBI investigation into the DSC irregularities.
In Kondepi, Prakasam district, former minister Adimulapu Suresh led a massive rally against the fraudulent DSC. In Addanki, YSRCP in-charge Dr Chintalapudi Ashok Kumar led a bike rally. In Kanigiri, a rally was taken out from Ongole Bus Stand to Pamuru Bus Stand under Daddala Narayana Yadav, with leaders Kaskurthi Adenna, Prasad Reddy, Gangasani Hussain Reddy and large numbers of students and youth participating.
In Jaggampeta, Kakinada district, YSRCP held a protest rally demanding a CBI probe into the DSC irregularities. Constituency in-charge Thota Narasimham and State Working President of the student wing Thota Sriramji participated. In Razole, Konaseema district, a rally was held under coordinator Pamula Rajeswari. In Sri Sathya Sai district, a protest rally was organised under constituency coordinator Eeralakkappa.
In Srungavarapukota, Vizianagaram district, police stopped a YSRCP rally led by former MLA Kadubandi Srinivasa Rao. In Chittoor, police obstructed the Mega DSC protest rally led by constituency in-charge M.C. Vijayananda Reddy from Gangineni Cheruvu, prompting him to strongly object to the police action.
In Ramachandrapuram, East Godavari district, MLC Thota Trimurthulu and YSRCP cadres began a march from the party office but were stopped by police. In Parvathipuram Manyam district, former minister P. Rajanna Dora was placed under house arrest.
In Undi constituency, West Godavari district, police denied permission for a bike rally against the DSC irregularities led by coordinator Mantena Yogendra Kumar. He was taken to a nearby residence and confined there by police.
