Police thwart yatra of TD leaders

 Visakhapatnam: Police on Tuesday foiled the plans of Telugu Desam (TD) leaders in northern Andhra Pradesh who intended to organize a yatra to their local temples to pray for the early release of their leader N. Chandrababu Naidu.

In Visakhapatnam, MLA of Visakhapatnam West P.G.V.R. Naidu (Ganababu), former Gajuwaka MLA and parliamentary constituency president Palla Srinivasa Rao, former MLA Gandi Babji and others were placed under house arrest starting at 6 am. These leaders had proposed a procession from the foothill to the hilltop Simhachalam temple to offer prayers. Some leaders, including Member of Legislative Council (MLC) Buddha Nagajagadiswara Rao, former minister Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy, former Paderu MLA Giddi Eswari and others, were arrested near the temple.

Subsequently, a sit-in protest was organised at the TD office in Visakhapatnam, with the participation of former MLA G. Babji, Palla Srinivasa Rao, MLCs Duvvada Rama Rao, Vepada Chiranjevi Rao, TD Mahila president Sarvasiddhi Ananatalakshmi, TD Visakhapatnam president Mohammed Nazir, Giddi Eswari and others. A party worker named Batula Tatayya was reportedly roughed up by the police when he resisted arrest at the Simhachalam temple.

In Vizianagaram, TD leaders had planned a procession from Ashok Gajapathi Raju's residence to the Pydithalli temple, but it was halted by the police, who detained some of them. In Srikakulam, preventive arrests were made when some leaders intended to organise a procession from Seven Road junction to Arasavalli Sun Temple.

At the Visakhapatnam District Court, lawyers staged a sit-in protest outside the court premises, alleging the unlawful arrest of TD national president Chandrababu Naidu. The protest was organised by TD's legal cell vice president P.S. Naidu. TD Mahila activists performed special prayers at Polamamba temple by breaking coconuts for the early release of Naidu at Pedda Waltair junction in Visakhapatnam.