Police have almost laid a siege to Kirlampudi village in wake of the former Minister and Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham’s proposed ‘Chalo Amaravati’ padayatra from July 26. About 3,000 police personnel have been deployed in this small village and two top police officials — Officer on Special Duty (OSD) Siva Sankar Reddy and Assistant Superintendent of Police of Rampachodavaram Nayeem Asmi — have been specially deputed to monitor the situation.
The police are not allowing free entry into the residence of Mr. Padmanabham and are frisking everyone with metal detectors. Four DSPs have been posted on the four roads leading to the house of the Kapu leader and police pickets have been arranged from National Highway-16. Closed circuit cameras have been fixed on electricity poles in front of Mr. Padmanabham’s residence, and police also using drone cameras in the street. Police out-posts have been set up at Rajupalem and Simhadripuram to check the vehicles entering Kirlampudi, and each vehicle is being checked thoroughly.
On the other hand, several Kapu leaders, supporters and others have been reaching the Kirlampudi village in solidarity with Mr. Padmanabaham’s padayatra. The agitation is to demand BC status for the Kapu community in the State.
Ban orders
Prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Cr.P.C. have been promulgated all across East Godavari district. The police are not taking any chances in the wake of the Tuni experience. As many as 39 check-posts have been set up to screen the vehicles entering the district from Friday night. The police have advised the people planning to visit the district on July 26 to postpone their visit.
In Mummidivaram, the police conducted a flag march on Saturday evening, and Inspector Ramana Rao has “cautioned” that no one should participate in the padayatra without permission.
Superintendent of Police Vishal Gunni, who visited Kirlampudi on Friday evening along with Peddapuram DSP Ramarao, conducted meeting with 15 DSPs, 25 Inspectors and 50 SIs in local Kalyana Mandapam. He said that body-worn cameras would be given to SIs who will be posted at police check-posts. The police should deal with locals sensitively and with respectfully, he said. At the same time they should not tolerate any unlawful incidents, he added.
Leaders defiant
However, the Kapu JAC leader Kalvakolanu Tataji, who addressed media at Mr. Padmanabham’s residence, said that Kapu women and men will come on to streets if the government was not going to allow the Padayatra. He said that they would organise rallies as part of their agitation, even as police officials deny any such permission was given to the Kapu leaders.
