Former minister and senior Telugu Desam Party leader Devineni Umamaheswara Rao was on Wednesday arrested by the Krishna district police for allegedly creating tension and resorting to rioting on Tuesday evening.
Along with him, as many as 17 other TDP leaders were also arrested by the G Kondur police. They were booked under Section 307 IPC (Attempt to murder), SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, Rioting, Criminal Conspiracy and other charges.
Devineni, along with his followers, went into Kondapalli reserve forests on Tuesday evening, alleging that illegal mining was being done and some ruling YSR Congress Party leaders were behind the mining activities.
On knowing this, activists of YSRC rushed to the spot and clashed with Devineni and others.
The TDP leaders alleged that the YSRC workers, supposedly the followers of Mylavaram MLA Vasantha Krishna Prasad, attacked Devineni’s car with stones and sticks and damaged it, while the latter managed to escape.
The police entered the scene and shifted Devineni to G Kondur police station, where he staged a dharna till midnight demanding that a case be booked against Vasantha Krishna Prasad.
However, the YSRC leaders lodged a counter-complaint against Devineni and others stating that they had resorted to assault on them.
Krishna district Superintendent of Police Siddharth Kaushal said the TDP leaders created tension at the police station in a planned manner.
Around 1 am, the police shifted the former minister to Nandiwada police station and dispersed the mobs. A few policemen were injured and some vehicles were damaged in the incident, the SP said.
TDP leaders, including former home minister Nimmakayala Chinarajappa and former minister Kollu Ravindra condemned the arrest of Devineni. They alleged that many TDP leaders and workers suffered injuries in the attack by ruling party activists.