ProMASS News Bureau: Feb 1, 2016:
In Andhra Pradesh, 15 police officials and 5 others including railway staff and media personnel were injured when a stir by Kapu community members turned violent at Tuni station of East Godavari district yesterday evening. The agitators were demanding reservation for their community under Backward Class category. Protesting over the alleged delay in declaring Kapu community as Backward Class, the agitators resorted to violence and set five coaches of Ratnachal Express on fire. No passenger was injured in the incident as they had alighted from the train before the bogies were set ablaze. The agitators also set on fire three Police Stations. Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu held an emergency meeting with senior officials in Vijayawada last night to take stock of the situation.
Later at a press conference in Vijayawada, Mr Naidu assured that reservation will be provided to Kapus without hurting the interests of the existing Backward Castes. He said, a Judicial Commission had already been constituted for this purpose. Expressing shock and concern over the violent incidents, the Chief Minister blamed political forces for the incidents. He alleged the opposition YSR Congress party for provoking caste politics. He said, the condition of a Sub-Inspector and a Constable is serious.
Meanwhile, Kapu Mahanadu leader Mudragada Padmanabham has called off the agitation which had turned violent and lasted for over six hours yesterday. However, he said that he will sit in indefinite hunger strike if the Government did not notify Kapus as Backward Class by this evening. AIR correspondent reports, section 144 has been imposed in Tuni town until normalcy is restored. The Police have deployed additional forces from neighbouring districts to reinforce the district forces to contain any eventuality. Though the traffic on the national highway has been restored several trains between Visakhapatnam and Vijayawada were either running late or cancelled as a fall out of the incident.
