TIRUPATI: Tension prevailed at Alipiri in Tirupati on Friday morning, when TDP leaders and activists staged a protest demanding ‘Amit Shah Go Back’ and tried to obstruct the convoy of BJP national president.
Around 200 TDP workers who arrived at Alipiri at around 10 a.m. staged protest till Amit Shah, who was visting Tirumala for darshan of Lord Venkateswara left for the airport. They held BJP responsible for rejection of Special Category Status to Andhra Pradesh and demanded a clear assurance on the issue.
When the BJP president’s convoy reached Alipiri, protesting TDP activists tried to obstruct the convoy but were pulled away by the police, who were deployed there in large number.
The windshield of a vehicle belonging to BJP leader Kola Anand was damaged with a TDP activist reportedly pelting a stone at the convoy. There were some heated arguments between Kola Anand and TDP activist, with former even attacking the latter, before police took the protester into custody.
Police also took around half a dozen protesters into custody to prevent them from following Amit Shah’s convoy.
On learning about the Alipiri incident, state Chief Minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu who was addressing the party’s meeting at his residence pulled up the party leaders and activists. Expressing his ire, he said party leaders and workers should not violate party discipline and asked them to not repeat such incidents ever again, bringing a bad name to the party. He said one should know how to behave, and being a ruling party in the state, party leaders should act in a responsible manner.