ONGOLE: Prakasam district police arrested nine persons in connection with the stone-pelting incident that occurred in Podili town on Wednesday during the visit of former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to the Tobacco Board auction platform.
Additional SP (Administration) K Nageswara Rao, along with Darsi DSP B Lakshmi Narayana, reviewed drone visuals and CCTV footage and identified the nine accused.
Police reported that the suspects hurled stones, chappals, sticks, and water bottles at police personnel, the public, and TDP protesters.
ASP Nageswara Rao on Friday informed the media that preliminary investigations suggested the incident was a premeditated attempt to provoke unrest. “We found provocative social media posts made a day prior to the incident. Despite full security arrangements for both the YSRCP programme and the TDP protest, these individuals instigated violence, injuring several constables, including women police personnel, and TDP supporters,” he said. The accused also allegedly stepped on tobacco bales at the auction platform, damaging produce and violating police permissions.
Four cases have been registered, and further arrests are expected. Five of the arrested were remanded to 14 days in Darsi sub-jail.
Meanwhile, YSRCP leaders, including Prakasam District President and Darsi MLA Dr B Siva Prasad Reddy, former MLA Anna Rambabu, and Kanigiri in-charge D Narayana Yadav, visited the families of the arrested and the accused in jail afterwards. The YSRCP leaders condemned the arrests, accusing the TDP-led coalition government of political vendetta.
“They threw black balloons at our leader’s convoy and started pelting stones and chappals. In the end, they registered false cases against our cadre,” the YSRCP leaders claimed, vowing to support the arrested party workers and fight what they termed as unjust actions by the ruling party.