Visakhapatnam: Some detained, a few others placed under house arrest as TDP takes to streets

Visakhapatnam: A number of TDP leaders and activists were either arrested or taken into custody to prevent any untoward incident during the bandh, a state-wide call given by the Opposition party on Wednesday to protest against alleged attacks on its offices across various parts of Andhra Pradesh.

Heavy police deployment was made at key junctions, RTC depot and bus stations where TDP workers gathered to enforce bandh, responding to the call given by the TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu.

However, a tense situation prevailed at some places as the YSRCP cadre too took to streets to condemn the remarks made by TDP spokesperson K Pattabhi Ram against Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy. While some of the TDP leaders were detained at home restricting their movement, a few of them were taken into custody in Visakhapatnam.

Former TDP ministers Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy and Ch Ayyanna Patrudu, TDP state president K Atchannaidu, Visakha Parliament general secretary Pasarla Prasad were placed under house arrest. Andhra Pradesh Telugu Nadu Students' Federation president MV Pranav Gopal and TDP state secretary A Mahesh were taken to preventive custody by the MVP police. A majority of TDP leaders were placed under house arrest from the early hours of Wednesday.

Those who tried to step out of the house to take part in the protest were bundled up in a vehicle and shifted to the police station. Terming the arrests as highhanded behaviour of the police, TDP Parliamentary constituency president Palla Srinivasa Rao mentioned that they were trying to carry out a peaceful protest responding to the party chief's call. He said that the police arrested or detained them at their respective house refraining them from taking part in the bandh.

Meanwhile, the bandh call evoked lukewarm response in Visakhapatnam as buses plied as usual and offices and educational institutions functioned normally. Shops remained open and the bandh had no impact on the normal life of the people. However, a few educational institutions remained closed and retail outlets extended support to the bandh.