The Monday’s violent clashes between the YSR Congress party activists and those of Telugu Desam Party office at Gannavaram are being attributed to the loose comments made by TDP official spokesman Kommareddy Pattabhi.
On Monday night, the police arrested Pattabhi and produced him before Gannavaram court on Tuesday evening. He was remanded to judicial custody for 14 days, along with 11 others.
Cases had been booked against more than 60 TDP leaders, including on Pattabhi under Sections 143 (unlawful assembly), 147 (rioting), 341 (wrongful restraining), 333 (voluntarily causing hurt), 353 (assault on public servant to prevent him from discharging his duty), 307 (attempt to murder), 448 (trespassing), 506 (criminal intimidation) and 509 (insulting the modesty of a woman) of the Indian Penal Code.
On Tuesday, the Gannavaram police arrested as many as 13 TDP leaders who were going towards Gannavaram to take part in protest as part of Chalo Gannavaram call given by the party leadership.
According to Krishna district superintendent of police P Joshua, it was Pattabhi who was responsible for the violence in Gannavaram by making irresponsible and malicious comments against Gannavaram MLA Vallabhaneni Vamsi.
Pattabhi made wild allegations against Vamsi and former Kodali Nani of their involvement in a multi-crore marketing scam – Sankalp Siddhi.
He demanded that the role of the two MLAs in the scam be probed. Vamsi had filed a defamation case against Pattabhi, but the latter challenged Vamsi to come clean in the scam.
This led to the protests by the followers of Vamsi, leading to violent attacks on the TDP office on Monday evening.
The SP said cases were booked against TDP leaders under various sections for instigating attacks on the police leading to injury to Gannavaram inspector of police Kanaka Rao.
He said prohibitory orders were clamped under Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code in Gannavaram and no permission would be given to any demonstrations or rallies.
“If anybody tries to create disturbances to the law and order, stringent action would be taken against them,” he said.