TDP AP bandh sees mixed response

Hyderabad, July 19 : The Monday shutdown called by the main opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh over the arrest of their chief N Chandrababu Naidu and 74 legislators saw mixed response with daily life in parts of the state coming to a standstill.Even though some areas, particularly the IT district of Cyberabad, saw usual traffic and a regular pace of life, many schools, colleges and businesses alike remained primarily closed across Hyderabad and other 22 districtsTransport services were reportedly hit as the State-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) suspended bus services partially due to sit-outs by TDP activists outside the depots in Hyderabad and other places.There have also been reports of TDP activists being arrested over forceful closure of shops and staging of road blockades in a number of districts.The strike was called as Naidu, among other politicians, was taken into preventive custody as they tried to visit the Babhali dam in Maharashtra that triggered a water row between the two states.The Andhra government has challenged the construction of the dam in the Supreme Court and says that the barrage in Maharashtra over Godavari river would affect water flow to their state and deprive irrigation to several districts in the Telangana area.Naidu, who's two-day judicial custody ends on Monday, said he went only to inspect the Babhali Barrage project and to fight for Andhra's fair share of water.
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