Amaravati, April 16: Normal life came to a standstill in Andhra Pradesh on Monday as the day-long shutdown called in demand for the special status category to the state evoked near total response.
Shops and business establishment and educational institutions remained closed, while buses of state-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) went off the roads in all 13 districts.
The shutdown has been called by Pratyeka Hoda Sadhana Samithi (The people's forum to fight for special status) and is being backed by opposition YSR Congress party, the Left parties, Congress and Jana Sena.
The ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which has been fighting for the special status and implementation of the provisions of AP Reorganisation Act, is not participating in the shutdown.
Leaders and activists of all opposition parties, barring Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), staged protest demonstrations across the state.
They took to the streets since early morning, raising slogans against the Centre for going back on the promise to grant special status and fulfil all other commitments made at the time of bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh in 2014.
The protestors staged road blockades and laid siege to APSRTC depots to prevent buses from coming out. The bus services came to a total halt in all three regions - north and south coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.
Protests were held at bus stations in Vijayawada, Guntur, Tirupati, Visakhapatnam and other towns across the state. Police arrested leaders of opposition parties at a few places.
Sadhna Samithi Chalasani Srinivas said the 'bandh' was in protest against the Narendra Modi government's refusal to grant special status.
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China says will continue to stand by Pak in upholding its ‘sovereignty, territorial integrity’
Islamabad, May 10 (PTI): China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Saturday said that his country would continue to stand by Pakistan in upholding its “sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national independence”.
The Chinese foreign minister made these comments during a telephonic conversation with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, according to a statement by the Foreign Office.
During the conversation, Dar briefed Wang Yi on the evolving regional situation.
Wang Yi acknowledged Pakistan’s “restraint and appreciated its responsible approach under challenging circumstances”.
“He reaffirmed that China, as Pakistan’s All-Weather Strategic Cooperative Partner and iron-clad friend, will continue to stand firmly by Pakistan in upholding its sovereignty, territorial integrity, and national independence,” the Foreign Office said.
Separately, Dar also spoke with UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed, who welcomed the ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and India.
Dar also spoke with Foreign Minister of Türkiye Hakan Fidan and apprised him of the current situation in the region.
India and Pakistan have agreed to a “full and immediate” ceasefire, President Donald Trump announced on Saturday, claiming that it was a result of the US-mediated talks.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio termed it a US-brokered ceasefire while commending Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Shehbaz Sharif on “their wisdom, prudence, and statesmanship in choosing the path of peace”.
The ceasefire came hours after India and Pakistan attacked each other’s military facilities, dangerously escalating the ongoing conflict.
