VISAKHAPATNAM: Police arrested Srikakulam MP Kinjarapu Ram Manohar Naidu, Ichchapuram MLA Dr. Bendalam Ashok and senior Telugu Desam Party functionary Gouthu Sirisha for obstructing the demolition of a culvert at Palasa in Srikakulam district around midnight on Saturday.
All three were taken to the Palasa police station and released. The culvert was demolished while the TD leaders remained detained at the police station.
High tension prevailed in the twin towns of Palasa and Kasibugga over the demolition of the culvert, where around 1,000 police personnel have been deployed. State TD president K. Atchannaidu and others condemned the incident.
According to information, Badda Nagaraj, who is now Palasa town president of Telugu Desam, had built a house near Palasa. A narrow canal passes between his house and the main road. Nagaraj built a culvert over this canal about 10 years ago with his own funds. The culvert has since been used by Nagaraj as well as farmers going to their fields and people residing in nearby layouts.
On Saturday afternoon, local tahsildar Madhusudhan Rao and rural sub-inspector Shankar Rao visited Nagaraj and informed him that farmers are complaining that the culvert is obstructing the flow of water to their agriculture fields. Gouthu Sirisha happened to be present with Nagaraj at the time. When Nagaraj explained the situation to the tahsildar and SI, the two went away.
An hour later, YSRC workers reached the culvert. Followers of Nagaraj also arrived. Tense moments prevailed and soon revenue and police personnel reached the spot and began demolishing the culvert even as Nagaraj’s followers staged a dharna.
MP Ram Manohar Naidu and MLA Ashok reached the spot and joined the dharna. Around midnight, police issued a notice under section 151 and arrested the MP, MLA and Gouthu Sirisha. They were taken to Palasa police station and released after revenue and irrigation department workers had demolished the culvert completely.
TD leaders allege that the culvert has been demolished at the instance of minister Dr Seedari Appala Raju as, of late, Nagaraj has been actively taking up campaigns against the YSRC. It is said the minister got the culvert demolished out of a grudge.
“I asked officials who ordered the demolition of the culvert. But they kept mum. I strongly condemn such illegal demolitions,” the MP told reporters after his release from the police station.
Sirisha declared that the same police will drag the minister onto the streets after the YSRC government is thrown out of power next year.
