Black balloons at Gannavaram airport create flutter

Vijayawada: Release of black balloons at Surampalli village of Gannavaram mandal in Krishna district during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Gannavaram airport created a flutter on Monday. The PM as part of his visit to Bhimavaram in West Godavari district arrived at Gannavaram airport by special flight from Hyderabad on Monday morning.

Later, he boarded a chopper on his way to Bhimavaram for the inauguration of Alluri Sitarama Raju statue. When the helicopter took off from the airport and moving towards Bhimavaram, two Congress activists released balloons from an under construction building at Surampalli village, which is located 4.5 km away from the airport.

The helicopter crossed the Surampalli village safely. However, the BJP leaders raised a hue and cry stating that there was a security breach and Congress 'hatched a conspiracy' against the Prime Minister and released the balloons to endanger his life.

Krishna district police said two Congress members namely Rajeev Ratan and Ravi Prakash climbed an under construction apartment and released the balloons at Surampalli village. They said by the time the balloons released, PM's chopper had already left the airport. The district police said cases were registered against the Congress workers under Sections 353, 341, 188 and 145 of IPC. The police dismissed the allegations that there was a security breach during the visit of Prime Minister.

They described the statement about the breach of security is far from truth. BJP state president Somu Veerraju demanded that a detailed probe should be ordered into the incident and action should be taken against the persons involved in releasing the balloons.

The Gannavaram police took Mahila Congress leader Sunkara Padmasri and two others near Gannavaram airport on Monday when they staged a protest over denial of Special Category Status to the state. Padmasri, holding a placard with a slogan 'Modi Go Back', stood on the national highway.

The police took Padmasri into custody and registered cases under Sections 353, 341, 188, 145 of IPC. Congress workers and leaders staged protests in some parts of Krishna district on the visit of PM Modi and demanded the SCS be accorded to the state immediately.