Kakinada: Police took into custody TDP MLA Nimmala Ramanaidu of Palakollu and his followers on Tuesday at Chinchinada in Yalamanchili mandal of West Godavari district while on way to Perugulanka village, where sand mining has been going on.
Sources said under the banner of CPM, some Dalits and BCs are on a relay fast at Perugulanka village demanding that indiscriminate sand mining taking place in the area be stopped forthwith. Ramanaidu reached there on Monday in support of the protesters. He slept the night there.
The TD legislator returned to his house on Tuesday morning, freshened up and again started for Perugulanka to continue his support for the agitators. Police, however, intercepted him at Chinchinada village. They requested him to return, as sand mining operations have been going on in Perugulanka as per permission given to a contractor for a housing project. But Ramanaidu did not heed to the advice and insisted that as MLA, he has a right to go anywhere.
Following this, police led by Narsapuram DSP K. Ravi Manohar Acharya took him into custody.
Acharya told Deccan Chronicle that there is a formation of sand dunes in Perugulanka area. Government has given permission to a contractor for clearing sand from these dunes to level a site where houses for poor are being constructed as per a scheme of the government.
The DSP maintained that they took the MLA and his followers into custody to protect law and order and released them later.
