One dies, 14 hurt in clash at Tadipatri

Tadipatri (Anantapur): One person was killed and 14 others sustained injuries in fresh clashes that broke out between the followers of Prabhodananda Swamy Ashram and the villagers of Peddapalamada and Chinapalamada in Tadipatri mandal near here on Sunday.

The fresh clash was a continuation of Saturday's clash in connection with the Ganesh idol immersion. The Ashramites and the Ganesh immersion procession organisers clashed on Saturday resulting in injuries to 12 persons. The villagers are followers of MP J C Diwakar Reddy.

The provocation for Sunday's clash was the vain bid of MP Diwakar Reddy to visit the villages of Peddapalamada and Chinapalamada to console the injured followers of his group. Police prevented the MP from visiting the villages fearing violence.

The MP, however, squatted before the police station for a couple of hours and left the place only when it started raining. Meanwhile 15 people were injured in a fresh stone pelting which took place between the followers of Prabhodananda Swamy and the villagers on Sunday.

One person succumbed to his injuries at the government hospital at Tadipatri. Police lathi charged the two groups and took both the groups into custody to prevent violence.