Activists of the CPI (M), the CPI, the Congress and various other constituent organisations of the JAC staged a road blockade in the temple town of Bhadrachalam on Friday demanding retransfer of five gram panchayats, which were merged with Andhra Pradesh following bifurcation in 2014. Mild tension prevailed at the bridge centre in the temple town when the police whisked away the protesters from the busy centre. Two women cadres of the CPI (M) reportedly fell on the main road in the melee and suffered bruises, sources said.
The activists of the Left parties and the main Opposition Congress among other organisations of the JAC also laid siege to the outskirts of the temple town along the inter-State border with Andhra Pradesh to press for their demand.
District Congress Committee president and Bhadrachalam MLA Podem Veeraiah, CPI (M) district secretary Annavarapu Kanakaiah and others took part in the “Vanta Vaarpu” stir held under the aegis of the JAC at the Bridge Centre in Bhadrachalam.
The JAC leaders reiterated their demand for demerger of the five gram panchayats Pichukalapadu, Kannaigudem, Yetapaka, Gundala and Purushothapatnam, which were transferred to AP under the AP Reorganisation (Amendment) Act in 2014.
They further demanded that the TRS MPs raise the issue in Parliament and mount pressure on the Centre for passage of a special ordinance in the ongoing Budget Session of Parliament to ensure demerger of the five Gram Panchayats to rectify what they called “grave injustice” caused to the tribal heartland of Bhadrachalam Agency.
