Anticipating trouble from Telugu Desam Party leaders for Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy’s programme in the district, the police detained Narsaraopet Parliament Member Modugula Venugopala Reddy and Peddakurapadu MLA Kommalapati Sridhar and other Opposition party leaders in their houses on Saturday.
The MP had announced that he would prevent Mr. Kiran Reddy from inaugurating Dr. K.L. Rao Sagar Pulichintala Project at Achampet mandal in the district, as the project works had remained incomplete.
Police cordoned the house of Mr. Venugopala Reddy at Peddaparimi village in Tulluru mandal and kept him under house arrest. TDP MLA Sridhar was also house-arrested and the police prevented him when he tried to come out of his residence in Guntur. TDP State general secretary Mannava Subba Rao and the followers of the leaders were also taken into custody when they staged a protest against the police action.
Speaking on the occasion, the MLA said the government had not implemented the Relief and Rehabilitation Package for hundreds of families who lost their fertile lands and houses to the K.L. Rao Sagar Pulichintala Project in the district.
He demanded that the government provide alternative land and suitable compensation to those who have been evacuated for construction of the project.
Meanwhile, the TDP leaders condemned the house arrest of the MP and MLA and said the government was suppressing the public representatives with police force. Mr. Venugopala Reddy and Mr Sridhar had tried to highlight the local problems to the Chief Minister, but the government supressed theoir voice, Mr. Subba Rao alleged.
