Tirupati: Several cities, towns and villages in combined Chittoor, Nellore and Prakasam districts witnessed waves of protests for the second consecutive day over the arrest of their national president and former chief minister N. Chandrababu Naidu at Nandyal on Saturday morning.
Police are taking preventive measures by detaining the protesting leaders.
In Tirupati, former city MLA and TD's constituency in-charge M. Sugunamma and other party leaders have been placed under house arrest. In response, Sugunamma initiated a hunger strike within the premises of her residence.
Police detained Tirupati TD parliamentary constituency spokesperson V. Surendra Naidu and BC cell president R. Sadasivam when they tried to join the hunger strike at Sugunamma's residence.
In a show of solidarity, TD's parliamentary president G. Narasimha Yadav and his associates began a fast at his residence on Old Tiruchanoor road. Police took into custody Telugu Desam’s Tirupati president Chinna Babu and detained him at the SV University police station. Chinna Babu initiated his fast at the police station itself.
When TD youth wing leaders tried to stage a protest fast at SVIMS circle, police prevented them from doing so. In Chandragiri, party leader Pulivarthi Sudha Reddy, along with other TD leaders, staged a relay hunger strike.
In Kuppam, Naidu's home turf, TD leaders joined the protests against their party chief's arrest. MLC K. Srikanth, who led the protests, proclaimed that the days of Jagan government are numbered. In Naidu's native village Naravaripalle, villagers conducted pujas to village goddess Nagalamma and at the graves of Naidu's parents for the well-being and swift release of Naidu.
Several TD leaders have been placed under house arrest in Nellore and Prakasam districts. In Nellore Rural, police increased security around the house of Nellore Rural MLA Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy, as a large number of TD workers gathered there in solidarity.
For the second day, former minister Ponguru Narayana remained under house arrest.
