Rajahmundry: YSR Congress leader and ex-MLA Maddala Rajesh Kumar and 19 others were arrested by the police on the charges of unlawful assembly and trying to restrain the Union minister for textiles Kavuri Sambasiva Rao during his visit to Chinthalapudi village in West Godavari on Wednesday.
It may be mentioned that when the Union minister Rao visited Chinthalapudi village to take part in several programmes on Tuesday, several supporters of Samaikyandhra led by the ex-MLA Rajesh Kumar obstructed the minister’s convoy and raised slogans against him.
The minister also retorted by abusing them for obstructing his way to take part in several programmes.
Some supporters even flung eggs on minister’s convoy. The police took the ex-MLA and his supporters into custody last night and later released them on self-bail.
Tension mounted on Wednesday afternoon in the village when a large posse of police personnel arrived to the house of the ex-MLA Rajesh Kumar and arrested him.
Later, the police also arrested the remaining 19 supporters and shifted them to the local police station.
Jangareddygudem DSP Alluri Venkata Subba Raju said that all the 20 persons who were arrested were booked under sections 143 dealing with unlawful assembly and 341 dealing with wrongful restraint of persons of IPC read with 149.
Later, they were produced before the magistrate P. Purushottama Rao who in turn granted them bail.
The YSR Congress leader Rajesh Kumar said they could not be cowed down even if they were booked under several cases as they were the staunch supporters of Samaikyandhra.
He alleged that the Union minister abused his official status by subjecting the police to pressure to arrest him and his supporters again.
He vowed to fight to keep the state united under the leadership of party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.
Meanwhile, YSR Congress and the supporters of Samaikyandhra called for bandh at Chinthalapudi village on Thursday.
