TDP cadre resort to protests en route Vijayawada, police use mild force to clear way, Naidu reaches SIT office
The convoy, amidst tight security, finally reached the SIT office in Kunchanapalli at Tadepalli in Guntur district at around 5 p.m
AMARAVATI: Even as police have made pre-emptive house arrests of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders, former ministers in different parts of the State following the arrest of TDP president Nara Chandrababu Naidu, several party workers tried to obstruct the police convoy accompanying him at different locations on the 328 km Nandyal-Vijayawada route on Saturday.
Police resorted to a mild cane charge at Pernamitta in Prakasam district when they tried to obstruct the way of the convoy. Similarly, the TDP cadre took to the roads in Muppavaram of Addanki Assembly constituency. One person was hurt when the police used force to disperse the agitating party workers.
The convoy was halted in Chilakaluripet for more than 20 minutes with the TDP cadre led by former minister Prattipati Pulla Rao blocking the road. Party workers sat on the highway and refused to move. Nara Chandrababu Naidu intervened and convinced the cadre to give way to the convoy. Police finally used force to remove them and ensured that the traffic on the road was restored.
Party cadre gathered in large numbers at the Guntur Autonagar area and stopped the convoy. Tires were burnt on the road in a bid to stop the police convoy. At Guntur Y junction, police took into custody Guntur west TDP in charge Kovelamudi Ravindra into custody for obstructing the way. The convoy, amidst tight security, finally reached the SIT office in Kunchanapalli at Tadepalli in Guntur district at around 5 p.m.
Earlier, in Palakollu, local MLA Nimmala Ramanaidu was indisposed after police used force to stop the TDP cadre from taking out a protest march. The MLA fell down in a scuffle with the police. He was rushed to a hospital. The party cadre said that the MLA suffered a mild heart aberration.
Protests against the arrest of Chandrababu Naidu were also reported all across the Godavari district. In Ravulapalem, TDP activists burnt the effigy of Jagan Mohan Reddy and held a dharna on Ravulapadu-Ravulapalem road.