TD workers, MLA Velagapudi held For Anti-YSRCP Slogans

Visakhapatnam: Police took Visakhapatnam East MLA Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu, former minister Bandaru A. Satyanarayana Murthy and about 50 other TD workers into custody when they raised slogans against the YSRC government and tried to block the Waltair Main Road in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday morning.

Earlier, Ramakrishna Babu, Satyanarayana Murthy, Visakhapatnam South party in-charge and former MLA Gandi Babji and other senior leaders met at the TD office to discuss their course of action in case their party president N. Chandrababu Naidu’s remand in Rajahmundry Jail is extended.

Knowing about the meeting, hundreds of party workers and sympathisers assembled at the party office and began raising slogans demanding Naidu’s release. Former minister and TD politburo member Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu also joined the protesters.

Following this, hundreds of police personnel rushed to the TD office. Presence of police enraged the crowd and soon a scuffle started between the party workers and police personnel.

Sensing the situation going out of control, police bundled more than 50 party workers including the MLA and former minister, and sent them to police barracks. They were later released on self-bail.

“The gathering was spontaneous. Without intimation hundreds of party workers from grass roots level, along with a large number of women, arrived at the party office to express solidarity with the leaders,” said party vice president Pasarla Prasad.