High tension in Palnadu as police curb YSRCP protest

PIDUGURALLA (Guntur): High tension prevailed in Palnadu region on Tuesday following opposition YSRCP's decision to lay seize Piduguralla municipal office in protest against the steep hike of property taxes. Situation turned volatile after police clamped prohibitory orders and deployed police force at the residences of important leaders of YSRCP. Police kept Gurazala constituency YSRCP leader Kasu Mahesh Reddy, who gave the call to lay-seize the Piduguralla municipal office, under house arrest in Narasaraopet. Interestingly, additional forces reached Mahesh Reddy’s residence right at 4am and took the entire premises into their control. The police did not allow the party workers to go into his residence to meet their leader.

Taking the issue to his personal prestige, Mahesh Reddy declared that they would go to Piduguralla town, which is nearly 40km away from Narasaraopet, come what may. He said that the police were under pressure to act against the opposition leaders. Interestingly, Mahesh Reddy gave a slip to the police and rushed to Piduguralla. Hundreds of party workers were waiting outside YSRCP office in Piduguralla town by the time Mahesh reached the town and started shouting slogans against the state government.

Addressing massive gathering, Mahesh Reddy dared local legislator Yarapathineni Srinivasa Rao to get prepared for a public debate on his looting of natural resources in the constituency. He alleged that MLA was literally siphoning the public money from each and every scheme granted by the state government. He said that officials were put under severe pressure to clear Rs.5 crore worth bills pertaining to road works which were completed almost a year ago. "The municipal council headed by TDP leaders is readied to clear the bills of the roads which were constructed long back. How could they clear the bills twice?" he asked.

Mahesh Reddy criticized Piduguralla municipal council for stamping its nod for increase of property taxes by 270 percent. He said that no municipal body had revised the taxes by whopping rate as was done in Piduguralla town. He said that late YSR government upgraded Piduguralla town to municipality only to provide better infrastructure and amenities to the public. Surprisingly, the Piduguralla town has secured dubious distinction in sanitation, underground drainage and drinking water facilities as it stood almost in the last position in the state. Mahesh said that municipal authorities could not receive even a single application for drinking water tap connection due to the worst performance of the civic body.

Police arrested Mahesh Reddy and large number of YSRCP activists while they were trying to reach municipal office. Meanwhile, police decision to keep party senior leader Ambati Rambabu under house-arrest had also sparked off tension in Sattenapalle town. Police who chased Rambabu from Guntur and detained in Sattenapalle to prevent him from proceeding to Piduguralla. “Chief minister is shamelessly talking aloud about the deteriorating democratic values in the country while not honoring the rights of opposition leaders in the state,” fumed Rambabu.