VISAKHAPATNAM: Tension prevailed at Visakhapatnam International Airport, with police taking TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu along with other TDP senior leaders into preventive custody under Sec 151 of CrPC citing security concerns.
Naidu and other TDP leaders were shifted from the outside of the airport to the VIP lounge in the Airport. Taking a serious exception, TDP chief demanded to know on what grounds he was detained and not being allowed to visit Visakhapatnam.
“After making me sit outside the airport for several hours, police now say they want to take me with them. I said I am willing to go with them, but first, they should give me in writing under what section I am being detained and for what reason. They are not giving the same, further, no police officer is wearing their nameplate or body-worn camera,” he told mediapersons.
Following his outburst, the ACB West Sub Division gave a notice in writing that TDP leaders are being taken into preventive custody under Sect 151 of CrPC.
Earlier in the day, a large number of YSRC workers stopped the convoy of opposition leader and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's outside the airport and raising Go Back slogans. Naidu, who was on a two-day visit to North Andhra, is visiting Visakhapatnam for the first time after the three capitals proposal, which includes Visakhapatnam as executive capital by relocating secretariate from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam, was announced by the YSRC government.
Ruling YSRC announced that it will obstruct Naidu's tour as he and his party are opposing the relocation of executive capital to Visakhapatnam. The TDP, on the other hand, made it clear that its leader will go ahead with the tour under any circumstances.
Though the police denied permission to both the parties to stage any peaceful protests and deployed huge police personnel, leaders and workers of both the parties managed to reach the airport road since Thursday morning.
In spite of the presence of police, hundreds of YSRC activists gathered on the road leading to the airport and as the convoy of Naidu came out of the airport, they squatted in front of the vehicles. Hundreds of YSRC activists raising GO Back slogans surrounded the vehicle of Naidu even as the party leaders, MLAs, and security personnel stood guard to prevent any attack on Naidu, who is provided Z-Plus category security in view of threat perception to him.
For nearly 45 minutes, the stalemate continued with YSRC activists surrounding the convoy and raising slogans against Naidu and asking him to Go Back. At one stage, with no way to proceed, Naidu got down from his convoy and started walking towards Pendurthy. However, TDP leaders stopped him from doing so as this might lead to further trouble.