Vijayawada: Gudivada police on Sunday took YSR Congress MLA Kodali Venkateswara Rao, alias Nani, into preventive custody and later released him. The police also imposed Section 144 in Gudivada town.
The police action came after the MLA called on his supporters to stage a protest accusing the police of intervening in a civil dispute. Mr Rao has been involved in a dispute over rent with one Guntupalli Suseela, owner of a building, part of which has been rented out for the party office. On Sunday morning, the owner locked up the YSRC office and started getting it painted.
Mr Rao, who came to know about this rushed to the spot and an argument between him and Ms Suseela followed. Meanwhile, a large number of police personnel, including DSP Y. Ankinidu Prasad reached the spot, angering the MLA, who sought to know why there were interfering in a civil dispute, that too one that is pending in the court.
After heated arguments, Mr Rao called upon his men to stage a protest and the police, in order to prevent matters taking a turn for the worse, arrested the MLA and his men and shifted them to Kaikaluru police station. Ms Suseela said that a portion of the premises was rented out some 12 years ago and Mr Rao promised to vacate it soon after 2014 elections, but did not do so.
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