Tension in Chandrababu’s tour at Anaparthi

KAKINADA: After two days of peaceful tour of Jaggampeta and Peddapuram, Telugu Desam chief and former chief minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu faced resistance from the police at Anaparthi on Friday.

The police made it clear to Naidu and the other TD leaders that they could take out a road-show, but should not hold public meetings on the road. Naidu as also former Anaparthi MLA and TD state vice president Ramakrishna Reddy did not agree with their proposal.

The police barred the way to Anaparthi at Balabhadrapuram village. After holding discussions with the police and the party leaders, Chandrababu got ready to visit Anaparthi. Meanwhile, the cadre pushed down the barricades on the road and Chandrababu went ahead with a Padayatra.

He announced that he has started a non-cooperation movement against the “dictatorship” of chief minister Jagan Reddy. He would do so on the lines of the Dandi March of Mahatma Gandhi during the Freedom movement, he said.  Naidu said Jaggamepta and Peddapuram police did not obstruct his tour, but at Anaparthi, police created obstructions due to “pressure” from the local MLA Sathi Suryanarayana Reddy.  Naidu reached Devichowk centre at Anaparthi from Balabhadrapuram by foot along with TD cadre, walking a distance of 6km, and then addressed the public. “Why such a restriction on me now? Did I come here from Pakistan,” Naidu asked the  police.   In the midst of the meeting, there was jostling between the police and the party cadre. 

Naidu gave a call to the party cadre that encircled his car not to allow the police to reach up to the dais. He said the YSRC MLA put a sword on the necks of the police and he understood their problem. “Still, the police should not cross their lines. If necessary, the YSRC government can transfer them. Never mind. You go there. When the TD comes to power, I will give good postings to you,” Naidu told the cops.  In the midst of the meeting, power went off. Naidu said the ruling party cut the power supply. He called upon the cadre to switch on the torches on their mobile phones. The cadre did so. Sometime later, the power supply was restored to the area.

Chandrababu Naidu called Jagan Mohan Reddy as Psycho and Anaparthi MLA Sathi Suryanarayna Reddy as “Gravel Suryanaryana’’. He said he was not against the “Reddy community’’ and Jagan did nothing for the welfare of this community.

He said the TD government had released funds for development works in the constituency, but the present MLA could not make use of it. He said the entire family of the local MLA was robbing the state’s resources.

Anaparthi former MLA N Ramakrishna Reddy and other leaders were present.