TIRUPATI: Tempers flared in Kuppam assembly constituency after police tried to prevent Telugu Desam supporters from gathering at Gadduru village in Santhipuram mandal of Chittoor district on Wednesday to welcome TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Palamaner subdivision police enforcing state government’s latest G.O. against public gatherings lathi-charged to disperse TD workers. “At least 20 of them, including women, have been injured at Gadduru. A woman party worker fell unconscious and has been shifted to a hospital,” said former TD MLC Gownivari Srinivasulu.
According to information, hundreds of police had been deployed on Wednesday in Kuppam over Naidu’s scheduled visit to prevent public meetings on roads. Earlier, Palamaner SDPO N. Sudhakar Reddy had written to Naidu’s office that no permission will be granted to hold any road shows or meetings on public roads. He quoted state government’s GO No.1 and requested the office to respond with locations of meetings, based on which permissions will be given. Late in night, the SDPO issued a letter saying as TD has not responded, no road shows or meetings will be allowed.
However, TD erected a pandal at Gadduru village for the proposed Rachhabanda meeting of the TD chief as part of his three-day Kuppam tour.
On Wednesday, before Naidu’s arrival, police removed the pandal at Gadduru and a stage at Kenumakulapalli village. They also confiscated a campaign vehicle of the TD and another vehicle carrying sound systems while these were being driven to Santhipuram, where Naidu’s first road show had been scheduled.
Meanwhile, police repeatedly tried to prevent TD workers from travelling to Santhipuram to attend Naidu’s programme. They also sought to stop party cadres from reaching AP-Karnataka border to receive their leader. Police had to struggle in keeping crowds at bay since they got outnumbered by thousands of TD workers from Kuppam and other mandals.
Police thus summoned additional forces. When Naidu’s convoy arrived at the bordering village, a police team led by SDPO Sudhakar Reddy approached the TD chief and attempted to give him notices. Refusing to accept them, Naidu got into a heated argument with the police. As police made it clear that they would not permit him to conduct roadshows or meetings, Naidu took up a door-to-door campaign in the Pedduru village.
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