Khammam (AP): YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) honorary president YS Vijayalakshmi’s tour of flood-hit areas in Telangana sparked off protests today. Telangana activists, protesting against YSRCP’s pro-unified state stand, tried to accost her convoy at several places and threw eggs at her vehicle. Even the statues of the late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy were vandalised since last night in Nalgonda and Khammam districts.

Vijayalakshmi arrived in Madhira of Khammam district by train before reaching Bonakal mandal by road. A group of Telangana activists tried to come in the way of her convoy near Konijerla and raised high-decibel slogans asking her to go back. They were eventually removed from the road by the police. More than 40 protesters were detained.

The wave of protests, though not entirely unexpected, prompted the police to beef up security for the YSRCP leader. They quickly arranged a bullet-proof vehicle. Police in both the districts have been on high alert since morning as trouble was widely anticipated ever since her tour plan was announced.

Meanwhile, a complete bandh is being observed across Nalgonda district against Vijayalakshmi’s visit to flood-hit areas. Miscreants set fire to the statues of Vijayalakshmi’s husband and former chief minister late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy in Huzoornagar and Kodad assembly constituencies. The bandh was called by both Congress and TJAC leaders who said the leader had no right to set foot on Telangana soil after taking an anti-Telangana stand.