Kapus in Andhra torch 6 train bogies, 2 police stations

An agitation by the Kapu community for quotas in government jobs and educational institutions in Andhra Pradesh turned violent with the agitators setting fire to two police stations and at least six compartments of a train in East Godavari district on Sunday.

Thousands of people belonging to the Kapu community reached V. Kotthuru village by afternoon to attend the meeting. With Mr. Padmanabham calling upon the participants to launch an agitation, people formed into groups and staged rasta roko and rail roko protests in Tuni town. First, they stopped the Ratnachal Express at the Tuni station by squatting on the tracks. Even as they were raising slogans, police arrived on the scene to disperse the mob. All of a sudden, agitators started pelting the train with stones. Initially, the engine was targeted. Passengers panicked and got down from the train. Immediately, the mob set the coaches ablaze. Five coaches were destroyed by the time fire tenders were pressed into service.

Shouting slogans against the State government and demanding immediate action with regard to the inclusion of Kapus in the BC list, the mob joined the agitation launched by another group on the national highway, bringing traffic to a standstill. Sitting on the highway with banners and flags, the agitators prevented the movement of buses, trucks, cars and even two-wheelers. Subsequently, a procession was taken out to the Tuni rural police station in protest against the caning of the agitators.

Later Kapus call off quota protest after assurance from Andhra CM.

Kapu leaders on Sunday night withdrew their protest for reservation after large-scale violence rocked Tuni town in East Godavari district of Andhra Pradesh.

M Padmanabham, a ley Kapu leader on Sunday night announced that he was withdrawing the protest, but gave an ultimatum to the state government to issue orders by Monday evening to include Kapus in the list of backward classes. He threatened to launch a ‘fast-unto-death’.