As many as 200 YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) activists were arrested on Monday while staging a dharna in front of the Satyavedu police station in the district demanding the release of Chandragiri MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy, who was arrested on Sunday night for protesting against the arrest of four party activists earlier.
According to informed sources, four YSRCP activists - Naresh Reddy, Chennakesava Reddy, Munikrishna Reddy and Prakash Reddy- had allegedly manhandled two persons who were carrying tablets for conducting a poll survey on Sunday evening, accusing them of “deleting names of party sympathisers” from the voters’ list.
Based on a complaint of the duo, Lokesh and Parandama, the Pakala police arrested the four activists under sections 341, 392, 365 and 506 of the CrPC and shifted them to Chittoor for questioning.
Reacting to the arrest, Mr. Bhaskar Reddy staged a protest with party activists at the District Training Centre that led to a traffic jam. The MLA was arrested under section 151 of the CrPC [Arrest to prevent the commission of cognizable offences] and was shifted to the Satyavedu police station.
Demanding his release, party activists from Chandragiri, Nagari and Satyavedu Assembly constituencies thronged the police station and raised slogans against the TDP. Meanwhile, speaking to The Hindu from the police station, Mr. Bhaskar Reddy alleged that the police, after arresting him, had taken him to several police stations, including one in Tiruttani in Tamil Nadu.
He alleged the police were shielding TDP activists, allegedly involved in deleting the names. He said the party MLAs from the district would approach the Election Commission over the police’s alleged harassment of party activists.
Meanwhile, the four arrested YSRCP activists were produced before the Pakala court on Monday and sent to judicial remand for 15 days.