YSRCP MLA of Puthalapattu chased away

CHITTOOR: Tension prevailed in Puthalapattu of Chittoor district after followers of the YSRCP and the TDP staged protests at the same place on Thursday night. The incident happened after the local MLA of the YSRCP MS Babu was accosted by some locals at Vepanapalli panchayat. The MLA was going around villages as part of 'Gadapa Gadapaku Mana Prabhuthvam' initiative called by Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy.

With the locals, owing allegiance to the TDP, questioning him about civic issues, the MLA reportedly got cases registered against them. Resenting this, they accosted him prompting the police to round them up and shift them to the local police station. Infuriated by the police action, TDP leaders and activists gathered in front of the police station and began a protest.

With TDP district chief Pulivarthi Nani also joining the protest, the YSRCP men too converged on the police station in large numbers and staged a counter-protest. They alleged that illegal cases were being registered against MLA MS Babu.

Realising that the situation could go out of control, the police resorted to lathicharge and dispersed activists of both the parties to restore normalcy. The opposition parties were accusing the MLA of registering false cases against many TDP and Jana Sena workers.