For second day, Andhra Pradesh shuts down to mourn YSR's death

4 September 2009

HYDERABAD: Normal life across Andhra Pradesh came to a crippling halt on Friday as the state mourned the death of chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy who died in a helicopter crash on Wednesday.

Schools, colleges, offices, shops and business establishments remained closed as a mark of respect to the leader, whose last rites will be performed in his native town Pulivendula in Kadapa district later on Friday.

Hundreds of mourners continue to pour in at the chief minister's camp office, where YSR's body lies in state. The body will be shifted to LB Stadium to enable people to pay their last respects, before being flown to his native town.

While the roads around the camp office in Begumpet and LB Stadium were teeming with mourners, the streets in the rest of the state capital wore a deserted look. The usual morning bustle was missing as the government declared a two-day holiday -- Thursday and Friday.

Vehicular traffic was off the roads while all petrol pumps remained shut for the second day, causing severe inconvenience to people. Even public transport was off the roads and only a few taxis were plying.

The IT companies in this technology hub also declared a holiday. Banks and even ATMs of most banks were closed. Hotels and cinema halls downed shutters too.

Telecom major Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) also declared a holiday for all its offices in the state as a mark of respect to YSR. Parks and restaurants were deserted as well.

The state government has declared a seven-day mourning period. Cable TV operators took all entertainment channels off air. They are airing only news channels.

The situation is similar in all major towns across the state. Holding black flags, Congress activists were roaming on their motor bikes in coastal city Visakhapatnam and in Vijayawada.

Guntur, Ongole, Srikakulam, Vijayanagaram, Nellore, Tirupati, Puttaparthi, Kurnool, Kadpa, Anantapur, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Warangal and all other towns remained completely shut for the second day.

Congress activists, YSR's admirers and followers gathered at various places in the towns and paid floral tributes to the departed leader. At some places, people lit candles and raised slogans of "long live YSR".