ANANTAPUR: Spiritual town Puttaparthi turned tense with leaders of the ruling YSRC and Opposition TDP clashed, hurling stones, coconuts and chappals at each other, compelling the police to lathi charge and disperse the two groups.
It all started with TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh making allegations of corruption, land grabbing and encouraging the sand mafia, against local MLA D Sridhar Reddy during his Yuva Galam yatra. The MLA dared the TDP leaders to prove the allegations and asked Lokesh to come to the local Satyamma Temple and take a vow on the same.
Joining the debate, former TDP MLA and former minister Palle Raghunath Reddy said there was no development ever since Sridhar Reddy become the MLA and whatever development took place in Puttaparthi was done during the previous TDP regime.
He accepted the challenge and fixed the date as April 1. Puttaparthi police, however, announced that Section 30 of the Police Act is in effect and told both sides not to visit the temple. Police personnel were posted at the TDP party office and Raghunath Reddy was not allowed to leave the office initially.
Raghunath Reddy, however, jumped over the wall and reached the temple where the YSRC leaders too gathered. The MLA too reached there and both sides hurled abuses against each other. “The TDP leaders have instigated the YSRC activists, who were leaving the place by then after being convinced by the policemen, leading to clashes. The two sides hurled slippers and coconuts at each other,’’ Puttaparthi police said in a statement. The police used force and dispersed both sides. One vehicle each of the former minister and the MLA were damaged in the clashes.