TDP-YSRC clash: Devineni Uma remanded to 14-day judicial custody
VIJAYAWADA: Former minister and senior TDP leader Devineni Umamaheswara Rao was remanded to 14 days’ judicial custody on Wednesday in connection with a case filed against him over the clash that took place at Gaddamangu village during his visit to the village to inspect alleged illegal mining. Hanuman Junction police presented Uma and his car driver Prasad and Telugu Yuvatha leader Leela Prasad before the magistrate through video conference.
The magistrate instructed police to shift them to Rajahmundry Central Jail with high security.
Following the violence erupted between TDP and YSRC workers at Gaddamanugu on Tuesday, police filed case against Uma and 17 others under Sections 188, 147, 148, 341, 323, 324, 120b, 109, 307, 427, 506, 353, 332 r/w 149 of IPC, section 3 of Epidemic and Diseases Act (EDA) and sections 3(1)(r), 3(1)(s), 3(2)(v) of SC/ST POA act.
Uma and his party leaders made a surprise inspection in the reserve forest area in Gaddamanugu on Tuesday alleging that YSRC leaders backed by Mylavaram MLA Vasantha Krishna Prasad were indulging in illegal gravel mining. While he was returning from the village around 9 pm, YSRC party supporters pelted stones at his car accusing him of spreading false allegations against the MLA and Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. This led to a clash between TDP and YSRC workers.
Krishna district SP Siddharth Kaushal said that around 1,000 people from both the parties reached the spot and started attacking each other with sickles, and pelted stones. In less than 20 minutes, TDP leaders reached the spot and attacked a Dalit leader and damaged his property. Siddharth Kaushal said police had collected video evidence of the TDP cadres provoking and clashing with the YSRC supporters at the spot.
On Wednesday, tension prevailed in Nandiwada village when Uma was shifted to Nandiwada police station. First, Uma was taken to Peddparupadu police station and later shifted to Nandiwada police station. For staging a protest in front of the police station, police arrested Penamalur former MLA Bode Prasad and TDP official spokesperson K Pattabhiram and released them later. TDP politburo member Varla Ramaiah accused the AP Police of registering a false case against Uma under the directions of “de facto home minister” and government advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy. Ramaiah said Uma did not open the doors of his vehicle, which he said, saved his life.