Telugu Desam Party Andhra Pradesh president and Tekkali MLA Kinjarapu Atchannaidu was arrested in the early hours of February 2 on the charges of preventing YSRCP-backed candidate Kinjarapu Appanna from filing nomination in Nimmada Panchayat, Mr. Atchannaidu’s native village.
He has been sent to Kotabommali police station and may be shifted to Ampolu sub-jail by evening. 22 TDP local leaders and activists have been arrested in the case so far, with 12 of them having been sent to the Ampolu sub-jail.
Mr. Atchannaidu’s arrest triggered protest in Srikakulam and Vizianagaram districts.
Srikakulam MP Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, TDP- Srikakulam Parliamentary wing President Kuna Ravikumar, Srikakulam former MLA Gunda Lakshmi Devi and others strongly condemned the arrest and sought his immediate release.
“The police department has not filed a case against YSRCP leader Duvvada Srinivas who was responsible for violence in Nimmada village, a village known for maintaining a peaceful atmosphere for the last 40 years. The government is trying to win the election by hook or by crook. People will teach the government a lesson,” Mr. Rammohan Naidu said.
Former Union Minister P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Vizianagaram former MLA Meesala Geeta, condemning the incident seperately, asked the government to not escalate tensions in north Andhra region.
Meanwhile, YSRCP MP K. Vijaysai Reddy is scheduled to visit Nimmada village to console Kinjarapu Appanna’s family, which reportedly faced threats from Mr. Atchannaidu.
