The police and Kapu JAC leaders are all set for a showdown in East Godavari district as the deadline for the “Chalo Amaravati” padayatra, announced by the former Minister and Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham, nears. Around 6,000 police personnel have been deployed in the district, of which half of the force is deployed in his native village of Kirlampudi.
Superintendent of Police Vishal Gunni made it clear that the police were not going to allow the padayatra at any cost, and would not allow any rallies or meetings in the district as Section 144 has been in force.
Mr. Gunni told The Hindu they have drawn two companies of Rapid Action Force, Armed Reserve Force and civil police from West Godavari and Viskhapatnam districts. He put the number of police personnel manning different places in the district at 5,800.
He said 90 check-posts had been set up in the district, where sub-inspectors were posted with body-worn cameras. “Everything will be recorded with electronic evidence and no one can take law into their hands. We will not allow any congregation and we have not made any preventive arrests,” Mr. Gunni said.
According to Amalapuram DSP Prasanna Kumar, about 2,000 police personnel have been deployed in the Konaseema area.
On the other hand, women in Gollaprolu, Amalapuram Rural and Mummidivaram performed special pujas in local temples for the success of the padayatra.
Kapu leaders’ charge
Kapu JAC leaders Akula Ramakrishna, Vasireddy Yesudasu, Areti Prakas and Gowthu Swami, addressing presspersons at Mr. Padmanabham’s residence in Kirlampudi on Monday, alleged that the police were out to brand the Kapu community as anti-social elements, and were not allowing free entry to the family members of Mr. Padmanabham.
They said the police had set up check-posts from Srikakulam to Chittoor to prevent Kapus from attending the padayatra. The Kapu leaders claimed that their leader never called his community to come to streets and create nuisance, but police the police were entering into a confrontation with the Kapus.
They said that members of hte Mala, Madiga and other castes and all political parties were supporting Mr. Padmanabham’s padayatra, except TDP and BJP. They claimed that permission for the padayatra was not necessary as Gandhiji never sought permission from the British before taking up satyagraha, and no agitation in the country was launched with permission from the government.
