Tension gripped Pulivendula town in Kadapa district on Sunday as the ruling Telugu Desam Party and the Opposition YSR Congress party activists, who assembled in large numbers at the Poola Angallu circle, jostled and pelted stones at each other resulting in head injury to Pulivendula traffic Sub-Inspector Chiranjeevi. The police opened three rounds of fire in the air.
In the wake of the recent war of words between the leaders of the parties claiming to have developed Pulivendula during their party rule and challenging each other to come forward for a public debate, a heavy posse of police force deployed in Pulivendula frisked people and put up checkposts to restrict entry of outsiders into the town since Sunday morning.
TDP’s Pulivendula incharge S.V. Satish Kumar Reddy challenged YSRCP leaders for a public debate on Sunday evening and Avinash Reddy of the YSRC had responded to debate the issue at the circle. The police denied permission for the debate saying it would vitiate the atmosphere. They placed Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy under house arrest in the old MLA quarters at Pulivendula after their bid to shift him to the police station was resisted by the party activists.
Prohibitory orders
Police placed Mr. Satish Kumar Reddy under house arrest in Vempalleand took into custody TDP district president R. Srinivasulu Reddy. Police promulgated prohibitory orders under Section 144 IPC and took several TDP and YSRCP activists into custody.
YSRCP MLA of Rayachoti Gadikota Srikanth Reddy told the media in Kadapa that the party was prepared for a debate on development in the entire State during YSR’s rule and Chandrababu Naidu’s rule. He charged the TDP leaders with plotting to create disturbances in Pulivendula.
He accused the police of being partisan.
