Mudragada detained, puts off padayatra

​Kirlampudi (East Godavari): Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham had to postpone his padayatra, which is scheduled to begin from Ravulapalem in East Godavari district from Wednesday, as police put him under house arrest for 48 hours at about 4.30 pm on Tuesday at his residence in Kirlampudi.

Police stopped Mudragada’s car when he was driving out from his home to Ravulapalem. Mudragada stayed back at his home and held talks with his supporters available at his residence.

Later, Officer on Special Duty Shivasankar Reddy and Additional SP Fakeerappa held a meeting with Kapu leader at his home and asked him to seek permission for padayatra. But, Mudragada did not agree to seek permission.

While talking to the media later, Mudragada said that he was put under house arrest for 48 hours and police have asked him to apply for permission for padayatra. He mentioned that he had rejected the appeal made by the police.

He asked on why he should apply for permission for padayatra which he was going to organise in a peaceful manner whereas leaders, including Y S Rajasekhar Reddy, Y S Jaganmohan Reddy and Left-wing leaders never applied for such permission.

He recalled that gravel paths were laid when Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu went on padayatra in the past. He made it clear that he would not apply for permission for his padayatra and would continue his campaign after the end of his 48-hour house arrest.

He informed that Kapu JAC leader Akula Ramakrishna was arrested and whereabouts of Kapul leader Nalla Vishnu and Nalla Pavan are not known as their mobile phones were switched off.

Meanwhile, Vasireddi Yesu Das, a close aide of Mudragada, said that High Court has given permission for Mudragada Padmanabham, but the government was playing games on the Supreme Court guidelines.

He wondered why only Mudragada has to seek permission for padayatra whereas other leaders have no constraints. Later, speaking to reporters, East Godavari SP Ravi Prakash said that Mudragada was placed under house arrest under Section 151 CrPC keeping law and order in mind.

He mentioned that Mudragada may apply for permission which will be examined. Meanwhile, Mudragada’s native village Kirlmapudi is under complete control of police forces with large number of police being deployed. Police have outnumbered the natives of the village.

Though normal life was not affected by the developments at Mudragada’s residence from Tuesday morning, villagers are anxious and fear that some untoward incidents may happen.

Kirlampudi where Gavara caste (BC) is dominant did not seem happy with the presence of large number of police in the village in view of Mudragada’s padayatra seeking Kapus inclusion in the BCs’ list.

Srinivas, resident of Kirlampudi, said that there is always tension in the village whenever Mudragada starts an agitation.

Though the villagers have accustomed to the large presence of police often, he observed that uneasy calm is prevailing in the village.

Kirlampudi is the hub for nearly 10 villages where brisk business is carried out regularly. Besides the cash crisis, the Kapu agitation developments were affecting business, he said.