A day after the rumblings came to the fore at Alipiri, where the convoy of BJP national president Amit Shah was attacked allegedly by the TDP workers, members of the two parties staged a dharna making allegations against each other on Saturday.
With the police taking three activists into custody, the TDP, led by MLA M. Sugunamma and TUDA chairman G. Narasimha Yadav, staged a dharna for the whole night on Friday in front of the Alipiri Police Station, where they were kept. All efforts by the top officials to persuade them to leave the place failed. They relented only after the arrested were released well after dawn. “The TDP activists were arrested for no reason. In fact, it was a BJP leader who assaulted our activist,” the MLA alleged.
The BJP leaders staged a demonstration at the Nalugukalla Mandapam Centre demanding an apology from Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and resignation of Home Minister N. Chinarajappa.
‘Criminal conspiracy’
Pelting stones at the convoy of a Z Plus category VIP had never been witnessed in the State, said party’s State official spokesperson G. Bhanuprakash Reddy.
He accused the TDP top brass of hatching a criminal conspiracy. The TDP workers had gathered at the spot well ahead of the scheduled arrival of the convoy, he added. “Everyone has a right to protest in a democracy, but attacking a national leader on a pilgrimage is unforgivable,” he said.
In spite of the alert sounded on the likelihood of such an attack, the police acted in an irresponsible manner, he charged.
District party president B. Chandra Reddy and other leaders condemned the attack.
