Hyd evictees protest at AP border
Squat on the main road at Pondugula, demand they be allowed to go home
Hundreds of angry returnees from Hyderabad on Thursday squatted on the main road at Pondugula of Dachepalli mandal in Guntur district airing slogans and demanded an immediate permission to go ahead to their native places in relaxation of all lockdown norms.
They were furious with the AP government for denial of permission to them to enter into Andhra Pradesh after having been evicted from and allowed by Hyderabad police to leave the city and Telangana.
The security measures at the Garikapadu check-post near Jaggaiahpeta in Krishna district was tightened, hence AP natives coming from Hyderabad shifted their journey to Pondugala in Guntur district. But alert police at the border foiled their attempts to enter through the check-post at Pondugala and refused permission for their entry.
Majority of those returning to AP were either students who were getting coaching for various exams and courses, or professionals doing jobs in various firms, most software industry. They complained that the managements of hostels they were staying at forcibly closed them down, and alleged that this was done owing to Telangana government orders.
“We were instructed to vacate their hostels immediately under duress,” they claimed.
They said that they went to Hyderabad police, who asked them to arrange vehicles to go back to their native places in AP and issued permissions. They vented their anger that the AP police was denying permission to go to their native places at Pondugala check-post. “We are waiting for past five hours without food and water,” several of them revealed angrily. They said that they came to Pondugala on the intervening night of Wednesday-Thursday and were forced to stay on the road due to denial of permission to enter.
Women faced troubles in having to respond to nature’s calls, the said. They said that fortunately Krishna river water at Pondugula helped and they could freshen up using that water in nearby deserted areas, they revealed.
The people forced to return from Hyderabad alleged that the AP government was ill-treating its own people during a difficult time. They demanded that the CM permit them to go to their native places. They said that thermal screening could be done on them to reveal reflect their health conditions.