Tension at Gudivada as YSRCP cadres attack TDP team

Vijayawada: Tense situation prevailed in Gudivada in Krishna district on Friday when YSRCP activists hurled stones at members of a TDP fact-finding committee who were proceeding to K Convention hall to enquire into the casino organised on premises during Sankranti festival.

On the other hand, police arrested the TDP leaders and shifted them to police station. Heated arguments took place between police and TDP leaders when the police denied permission to the TDP leaders to visit K Convention centre. The trouble began when the TDP leaders started in a rally to K Convention from TDP office in the town. YSRCP leaders also organised a counter rally to prevent TDP leaders from proceeding towards the convention centre. Police tried to stop both the rallies, but situation went out of control with YSRCP supporters hurling stones at TDP leaders. The glasses of former MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao's car were smashed in the attack. The ruling party cadres also attacked the TDP office.

TDP state president K Atchannaidu condemned the attack on TDP leaders by the YSRCP activists. Party leader Varla Ramaiah said that police failed to curb the casino activities in Gudivada on which they were going to file a complaint to Eluru DGP on the attack on TDP leaders. Meanwhile, brushing aside the allegations of running a casino at a K Convention centre owned by him at Gudivada, minister for civil supplies Kodali Sri Venkateswara Rao (Nani) dared the opposition to prove the allegations. "I am prepared to quit my post if charges are proved and if they fail to do so what will the Opposition and its friendly media do?" he said during a brief media interaction here on Friday.

He also invited neutral media to probe the allegations at Gudivada and slammed TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu and his son Lokesh for raking up the issue