GUNTUR: An uneasy calm prevailed in Macherla town on Saturday even as life limped back to normalcy a day after violent clashes between two rival groups. Additional forces were deployed at vulnerable places to prevent any untoward incidents.
Palnadu district Superintendent of Police Ravishankar Reddy is personally monitoring the law and order situation in the town. RTC bus services which were halted on Friday night, resumed. Police kept a strict vigil on the movement of suspicious persons in the town.
People were not allowed to gather at public places as Section 144 is in force. Traders who voluntarily closed their shops on Friday evening, resumed business operations as usual on Saturday morning.Schools, offices and business establishments functioned normally. Local transport services also resumed.
Though Macherla in Palnadu district has a faction background, clashes of such magnitude were not reported in the town in the recent past. Five persons were injured, one of them severely, in the violent clashes. The condition of all the injured is stated to be stable.
Tension prevailed at various places in Guntur and Palnadu districts as police foiled TDP’s plan to organise ‘Chalo Narasaraopet’ denouncing the attack. Several TDP leaders were put under house arrest to avoid any trouble.
Condemning the YSRC attack on TDP Macherla incharge Julakanti Brahma Reddy, the Opposition TDP gave a call for ‘Chalo Macherla’ and lodge a complaint with Superintendent of Police Ravishankar Reddy.
In order to maintain law and order in the town, police detained former minister Nakka Anandbabu, ex-MLA Dhulipalla Narendra Kumar, Palnadu district TDP incharge GV Narasimhulu and Kodela Sivaram in their respective houses at various places in Guntur and Palnadu districts.
Water Resources Minister Ambati Rambabu, Gurazala MLA Kasu Mahesh Reddy and Narasaraopet MLA G Srinivasa Reddy visited the injured at Macherla government hospital and enquired about their health condition. The whole incident created a political ruckus in Palnadu area as leaders of the ruling and opposition parties blamed each other for the violent clashes in Macherla.