Tension prevailed at several places of Srikakulam district on Thursday following the house arrest and forcible custody of several BJP leaders who planned ‘Chalo Amalapuram’ to register their protest over burning of celestial chariot of Antarvedi Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy temple. With the call given by BJP State president Somu Veerraju, the district party unit mobilised all leaders and activists from different parts of 38 mandals.
There was a heated argument between police officials and BJP leader Nadukuduti Eswara Rao at Ranasthalam when they tried to arrest him, explaining the prohibitory orders. Mr. Eswara Rao said that the programme would be taken up in a peaceful way to highlight the Antarvedi incident and ‘illegal arrest’ of Mr. Veerraju.
BJP senior leaders Pudi Tirupati Rao, Pydi Venugopalama, Duppala Ravindra, Pudi Baladitya and others were directed not to move from their houses while cautioning that they would be arrested and sent to jail in case of violation of prohibitory orders.
BJP district president Attada Ravibabji strongly condemned the police act of preventing all leaders from participating in ‘Chalo Amalapuram’ programme. “We will bring the issue to the notice of the Union Home Ministry since the police has no right to foil peaceful agitations,” he added.
