VISAKHAPATNAM: Amid high drama on Monday midnight, three statues of prominent film personalities, Akkineni Nageswara Rao, Nandamuri Harikrishna and Dasari Narayana Rao were removed from Justice Square on Beach Road. Armed with cranes and JCBs, a battery of GVMC officials accompanied by a large contingent of police descended on Beach Road to remove the statues.
A mild tension prevailed when some people tried to resist the attempts of civic authorities to remove the statues. The police kept the agitating youth at bay and went on removing the statues.It is learnt that the authorities, initially wanted to remove the statues in the morning but they changed their plan as they anticipated trouble. The statues were reportedly shifted to GVMC office.A small group of TDP workers, who staged a protest, said it was unfair on the part of the authorities to remove statues midnight.The statues were unveiled, last year by Akkineni Kalasagar without proper permission.The statues were unveiled by minister Ganta Srinivasa Rao in the presence of former MP Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad.
However, it led to protests from various organisations. Acting on a PIL filed by activivist Bolisetti Satyanarayana, the High Court of Andhra Pradesh, ordered their removal on March 12 this year.Further, the High Court on April 22 served notices on Secretary, Municipal Administration, R Karikala Valavan, GVMC Commissioner M Harinarayan, President of Akkineni Kalasagar Ponnada Mohan Rao, Ganta Srinivas Rao and former MP Yarlagadda Lakshmi Prasad following a contempt case (No. 84/2019) filed by Satyanarayana alleging violation of a 2018 Supreme Court order.
Satyanarayana said even as the PIL arguments were going on he filed a contempt of court petition in the court on March 12 this year. He said he brought the issue to the notice of the civic authorities. However, when authorities failed to take action, he filed the PIL in the court, he said.The contempt case, is pending in the High Court and all those who were served notices have to appear before it when the case hearing comes up after summer holidays.