TD and YSRC fight at old Amaravati temple over illegal sand mining issue

VIJAYAWADA: Tension gripped Amaravati after the YSR Congress and Telugu Desam cadres gathered separately near the Amara Lingeswara Temple. This followed the hurling of a challenge between YSRC MLA Namburi Sankar Rao and former TD MLA Kommalapati Sridhar over the issue of illegal sand mining.

The police, as a preventive measure, set up barricades and detained the TD cadre when they tried to enter Amaralingeswara temple. Challenges and counter-challenges were traded between supporters of MLA Sankar Rao and ex-MLA Sridhar. Both sides accused the rival side of being responsible for illegal sand mining.

The police intervened and imposed ban orders under section 144 of CrPC as a precautionary measure.

Notably, Sirdhar had alleged that YSRC MLA Sankar Rao committed large-scale corruption through illegal sand mining. Sridhar challenged Rao to disprove the allegations in a public debate at Amaralingeswara temple in old Amaravathi. Accepting the challenge, MLA Sankar Rao announced that he would come to the temple, would take a vow and prove the corruption of the former TD MLA Sridhar in relation to the illegal sand mining. He said he would come with sufficient proof.

On Sunday, both Sridhar and Sankar Rao headed for Amaravati along with their supporters. Sankar Rao reached the Amara Linegeswara temple while the police stopped Sridhar and his supporters from reaching their destination. They tried to break the police cordon and push their way through the barricades.

The police took Sridhar and other TD leaders into custody and shifted them from Amaravathi to other places. When the TD workers and leaders got into an argument with the police and refused to  leave the place, the police used force and dispersed them.

Sridhar said illegal sand mining was going on in Amaravati and alleged that many people were dying due to the silos dug in the river for the illegal sand mining. He said that the TD had urged the government to proceed in accordance with law in the matter of sand mining. “We are ready to discuss development and the free sand policy of the TD period,” he said.

The former TD MLA said that he was ready to openly debate and discuss the issues of sand exploitation, mining mafia and construction of houses. “The YSRC government is trying to disperse us with police force as it is unable to answer our questions,” he said.

Sankar Rao announced that he accepted the challenge of the TD leader. He said he is ready to discuss the issues against the TD with proper evidence. “I will prove the corruption of TD leaders at Amareswara temple with records. I shall also explain the development programmes of the YSRC government with evidence,” he said.

Rao said he would send back all his supporters and leaders from the temple if Sridhar came alone for the discussion. But, the TD leader did not have the courage to face a discussion and debate, he said.

The MLA claimed that 28 children died by drowning in the sand pits during the TD government's tenure. This was because of illegal digging of sand pits by TD leaders, he said.

He recalled that the NGT imposed a penalty of Rs 100 crore to the TD government for illegal excavations. “TD leaders including Sridhar robbed sand and made money in the name of a free sand policy without any revenue to the government. But, in Jagan’s tenure, the government is getting revenue due to the transparent sand policy,” he said.