Tirupati: Tension prevailed in several parts of Tirupati as police arrested dozens of leaders and activists of the Opposition parties including YSRCP state general secretary Bhumanna Karunakar Reddy. Following a bandh call given by principal opposition YSRCP and Left parties to protest against Union government’s announcement on special packages by declining special category status to AP, the Tirupati urban police have imposed Section 144 of CRPC in the city on Saturday. Urban SP R. Jayalakshmi monitored the law and order situation by going around the city.
The east police on Saturday at 5 am visited the house of Bhumanna at Padmavathipuram and arrested him. He was taken to Tiruchanoor police station, where he was lodged till 4 pm. In protest of Bhumanna’s arrest the YSRCP activists staged a dharna in front of the police station. The police thwarted every movement of the agitators who tried to stage raasta roko at many areas in the city.
The attempt by CPI-M workers to conduct mock funeral of Prime Minister Narendra Modi also triggered tension. The attempt was foiled by the police, which led to heated arguments between the two sides. The police imposed prohibitory orders banning assembly of five or more persons in the temple town. Former Congress MP Chinta Mohan staged a dharna in front of RTC bus stand in the morning. RTC buses were confined to depots in the district for few hours till afternoon. Later they started plying on the roads.
The vehicular traffic to Tirumala was exempted from the bandh. No untoward incident was took place in the district as the police made heavy security arrangements across the district. Meanwhile, Bhumanna Karunakar Reddy lashed out at Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for trying to snub the people’s movement with the help of the police. Speaking to media persons at Tirupati Press Club after being let off by the police in the evening, he alleged that Naidu has surrendered the self respect of five crore Seemandhra people for his selfish needs.
While terming Naidu as dictator and his rule resembling Emergency days Mr Bhumanna alleged that for the sake of saving his own skin in the cash-for-vote case and to earn bribes of Rs 9,000 crore in the Polavaram project Naidu has totally mortgaged the interests of AP. YSRCP will not relent its fight till it achieves special category status to the state, he said.
