Visakhapatnam: Leader of the opposition and Telugu Desam supremo Nara Chandrababu Naidu was on Thursday taken into custody under preventive detention at the Visakhapatnam airport, amidst high drama, after ruling YSRC workers gathered there to protest against his visit to the city. He was later forcibly put on a plane back to Hyderabad at 8 pm.
A large number of YSRC workers assembled at the airport since morning, allegedly on the directions from minister Muttamsetti Srinivasa Rao, who had earlier announced that “people would oppose his visit”.
Telugu Desam workers and supporters also arrived at the airport, but in far lesser numbers, to greet their leader and accompany him to a rally planned at Pendurthy in the city. There was a huge mobilization of police personnel outside the airport to prevent clashes between the two groups.
Workers from both parties had a heated exchange of words and raised slogans against each other. As the sun rose, tempers also ran high, and peaked once Mr Naidu arrived. This was his first visit to the port city after it was declared the executive capital.
