KAKINADA: Tension prevailed in the city on Sunday when Jana Sena cadre were allegedly attacked by YSRC activists when the former tried to besiege the residence of MLA Dwarampudi Chandrasekhar Reddy in protest against his abusive remarks against Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan during a rally on Saturday.
Reddy made objectionable remarks against Pawan Kalyan following which the JSP gave a call to besiege the MLA’s residence demanding an apology from him for his comments. Hundreds of Jana Sena activists, including women, took out a rally from Bhanugudi Centre to the MLA’s residence at Godavari Gunta.
By the time they reached the MLA’s residence raising slogans, Reddy was addressing a press meet and his followers gathered there anticipating trouble. Just a few yards away from the MLA’s residence, the YSR Congress activists obstructed the JSP cadre. After an altercation, the YSRC and Jana Sena activists entered into fisticuffs and the situation went out of hands within minutes.
YSR Congress activists allegedly attacked the JSP cadre with sticks and stones and chased them away. Police found themselves completely outnumbered when they tried to bring the situation under control. While some of the fleeing JSP cadre fell into the open drains, others sustained bleeding injuries and they were shifted to hospital.
Former mayor Kavikondala Saroja and four other women also came under attack and one of them was allegedly slapped by YSR Congress activists. A handful of policemen present at the place, tried to resist the attackers. As the situation was going out of control, the police forced the women into a temple and locked it from outside to protect them from the attack. The attackers were later dispersed.
Additional forces were rushed to the area and the situation was brought under control. The women were shifted in a vehicle to a safer place later.
SP (Admin) Arif Hafiz, DSPs Ambika Prasad and Murali Krishna monitored the situation. JSP leaders Pantham Nanaji and three others were arrested and taken to Thondangi police station. Some other Jana Sena activists were arrested in Kakinada. The injured JSP activists were admitted to the Government General Hospital.
JSP leader Nanaji said the YSRC activists attacked them without any provocation. YSRC town president RVJR Kumar, however, claimed that it was the JSP activists who tried to attack them. “We tried to stop them from disturbing the MLA’s press meet, but they attacked us,’’ he said.
SP Adnan Nayeem Asmi said the JSP activists were taken into preventive custody. Police officials, however, are not ready for comment on why JSP cadre, who came under attack were arrested.
Pawan Kalyan condemns attack on JSP workers
JSP chief Pawan Kalyan, who went to Delhi on Saturday to meet BJP national leaders, condemned the attack on his party activists. "The police, who left the YSRC activists though they attacked our cadre, are trying to implicate them in false cases. I will directly land in Kakinada once I complete my meetings in Delhi and take the police to task," Pawan said.