SIDDIPET: Amid increasing opposition to the proposed Konda Pochamma project, a delegation of TJAC leaders tried to visit the submergence villages on Monday but the police foiled their attempts and arrested TJAC chairman Prof M Kodandaram and lawyer B Rachana Reddy in Bailampur village.
According to sources, Kodandaram was invited by Bailampur villagers to visit their village in the wake of land acquisition going on there for the project.
On learning about their visit, additional forces were rushed to the village. With huge presence of police on Rajiv Gandhi highway, the villagers reportedly took Kodandaram and Rachana Reddy to Bailampur.
Police told Kodandaram since that Section 30 was in force in the district, rallies and meetings cannot be held without permission and asked them to leave. Kodandaram and Rachana Reddy, however, said they wanted to interact with farmers and not to vitiate the atmosphere.
Police, however, insisted that they leave and as the TJAC leaders did not heed to their pleas, they were detained.
The villagers entered into a scuffle with the police and squatted in front of the police vehicles not allowing them to leave the village with Kodandaram.
The stand-off continued for more than 30 minutes and after using some mild force, police shifted Kodandaram and Rachana Reddy from the village. Rachana Reddy was moved to Bailampur police station and Kodandaram was first moved to Gajwel and from there to Banoor police station. They were later released on station bail.