Kakinada: Tension gripped East Godavari on Wednesday as the police foiled the attempt of senior Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham at Kirlampudi village to embark on ‘padayatra’ to Amaravati on the Kapu reservation issue. Prohibitory orders were imposed all over the district and there was heavy police personnel deployment at Kirlampudi village and other areas of the district. At 8.45 am, Mudragada came out of his house to undertake padayatra, but the police officials placed him under house arrest for 24 hours.
Mudragada argued with the police that he had a right to undertake his agitation. He made it clear that the police could arrest him if they felt he was a ‘criminal’ or ‘terrorist’.
Mudragada said his democratic right to undertake the padayatra should not be taken away from him and there was no justification for posting so many policemen in the village and elsewhere. He only wanted to undertake a peaceful padayatra demanding fulfillment of a promise made by Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for providing Kapu reservation. But the government was suppressing it in a most brutal manner. However, he said he was determined to undertake the padayatra. He also said it was not proper to confine him in his house. He said, he would continue his agitation, after the police force was withdrawn. Meanwhile, nearly 1,000 women at Simhadripuram village started padayatra in support of Kapu reservation and Mudragada.
But the police stopped and sent them back. At Kothapet, some youth started bike rally to reach Kirlampudi, but the police arrested them. Eluru DIG P. Ramakrishna and Superintendent of Police Vishal Gunni supervised the law and order situation at Kirlampudi. According to police sources, 120 persons were placed under house arrest on Wednesday, including DCC president Pantham Nanaji , Kapu leader Kalvakolanu Tataji and also some of the YSRC leaders.
