HYDERABAD: Hours before the arrest of YSR Congress chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday evening, police had been put on a high alert. Security was beefed up in all major cities and sensitive areas of Rayalaseema to prevent untoward incidents. Except for some sporadic incidents, the overall situation remained peaceful but tense till late in the night. As a precautionary measure, the Prakasam district police deployed an additional platoon of Armed Reserve Police to increase security for TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu who is campaigning in the district. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 were imposed on several places. Tight security was clamped outside the Lotus Pond residence of Jagan in Hyderabad. Nearly 500 YSRC leaders and activists have been either kept under house-arrest or taken into preventive custody across the state. Senior police officials alerted their colleagues in the districts to make preventive arrests of YSR Congress activists in Hyderabad, Kadapa, Krishna, Guntur, Prakasam, Anantapur, Nellore, Chittoor, Kurnool, Warangal and East and West Godavari districts. Police pickets were posted at bus stations, in sensitive areas and on major roads leading to Hyderabad. Police authorities claimed that the situation was under control and explained that the preventive arrests were made only to maintain law and order. Even before the CBI announced Jagan's arrest, the APSRTC had withdrawn several bus services in some sensitive districts of Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra apart from Nalgonda and Mahbubnagar districts in Telangana. At least 5,000 bus services have been cancelled in Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra. Additional forces have been deployed at bus, railway stations and important junctions in Kadapa, Chittoor, Anantapur and Nellore districts. Police are expecting trouble from the supports of Jagan any time and are prepared to face any eventuality. In Rayalaseema region, all the collectors and the superintendents of police reviewed the security measures and are closely monitoring the situation. Videographers have been deployed at all important places to take footage of any trouble. Police forced the closure of all commercial establishments in Kadapa. Police officials on leave were asked to resume duty immediately. Some YSRC activists have allegedly damaged a RTC bus near Thadithota junction in Rajahmundry and another in Kadapa. A bus was stoned at Patamata in Vijayawada. In Kadapa, those who came to write Group-I services, found it difficult while returning. RTC officials on the other hand canceled the reserved tickets and refunded the amounts to the passengers. Miscreants made a phone call that bombs had been planted at Kanaka Durga temple on the Indrakeeladri and at Inox multiplexes at Satyanaraynapuram and Patamata in Vijayawada. In Khammam district, about 40 members of YSRC were taken custody at Kothagudem, Palvancha and Chundrugonda. Section 144 has been imposed in Guntur, Prakasam, Khammam and Krishna districts. Miscreants painted the Rajiv Gandhi statue black at Narsaraopet in Guntur district. YSRC activists staged rastha rokos, hartals, rallies and dharnas in Visakhapatnam and other places in North Andhra. Seventeen buses from Visakhapatnam to Hyderabad, Chennai, Tirupati and Vijayawada have been stopped at Dwaraka Bus Complex. A large number of party activists staged dharna at NAD junction and shouted slogans against the CBI, and the central and the state governments. The CBI was burnt in effigy in Srikakulam town. A massive procession was organised from Seven Roads junction to the municipal office in Srikakulam. YSRCP activists staged dharnas at Tagarapuvalasa, Pendurty and Anakapalle junctions. Most of the shops and establishments were closed in north Andhra. In Nalgonda district police forces were deployed on the Vijayawada- Hyderabad road. MLC Konda Murali was kept under house arrest
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