GUNTUR: The police in large numbers reached the Inimetla village at Rajupalem mandal in Sattenapalli Assembly segment in the early hours of Saturday, to take the people, who had allegedly attacked Assembly Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao on the polling day, into custody. Kodela is the TDP candidate for Sattenapalli Assembly constituency in Guntur district. The police collected evidence, including footage of CC TV cameras and video footage, to track the attackers. Meanwhile, clashes between TDP and YSR Congress have been troubling public in the Palnadu region.
The police began their investigation in the village based on the complaint of TDP chief election agent A Jayaram on Saturday. A team of 80 policemen from Sattenapalli division reached Inimetla village on Saturday. The police immediately ordered the locals not to leave the village without their permission during the searches.
For the record, YSRCP workers on April 11 protested against K Siva Prasad Rao’s presence inside a polling booth, where he allegedly locked himself from inside, and informed the police about the same for proper action. When the police opened the doors, the YSRC activists allegedly attacked him and resorted to stone-pelting. In the incident, the speaker’s car was damaged, and his driver got injured.
TDP leaders registered a case in Rajupalem police station against YSRCP candidate Ambati Rambabu, Basu Linga Reddy, Nimmakayala Rajanarayana, who allegedly provoked the agitators to carry out the attack on the Speaker. DSP V Kalishavali Rao said that so far six people were taken into custody. With the arrests, the situation has become tense once again in the village.
Siva Prasada Rao said that it was very unfortunate to experience such a bad incident in his life in the village of Inimetla. He alleged that the incident had taken place due to the failure of the Central government in providing adequate security forces to conduct the election peacefully. He said that the YSRCP activists carried out the attack for about 45 minutes in front of the polling officers in the polling booth itself. He alleged that YSRCP activists carried out the attack due to the provocation of Ambati Rambabu, Basu Linga Reddy and Nimmakayala Rajanarayana.
YSRCP candidate Ambati Rambabu said that the people feared that Kodela was rigging the votes, so they agitated against him. He condemned the attack and said that there was no conspiracy in the incident, “but we are ready to cooperate with the police for investigation”.