Despite the State government suspending the distribution of the herbal preparation of ayurvedic practitioner B. Anandaiah of Krishnapatnam, which reportedly claims to provide a cure to COVID-19, people from different parts of the State and also neighbouring States are thronging the village hoping against hope that the government will take an early decision based on inputs from the AYUSH department.
Meanwhile, State Industries Minister Mekapati Goutham Reddy said the government would take a decision once full clarity emerged on the herbal preparation being subjected to study by Union and State Government organisations.
Getting to know that Mr. Anandaiah had returned to his village late on Friday, people from far and near thronged his house, where the Nellore Rural police beefed up security. The residents surrounded him and expressed their concern over his being kept away from the village for more than a week.
Sensing that the situation might go out of control, a special police party amid tight security once again took him away to undisclosed destination on Saturday.
Check-post
A check-post has been set up at the village entrance to prevent outsiders from entering the village in a big way. Barricades were erected at different places on the Chennai-Kolkata highway to regulate the crowd, the police said.
Telugu Desam Party national secretary Beeda Ravichandra urged the State government to end the uncertainty by taking an early decision on the herbal preparation.
While poor people who visited the village returned empty-handed, the ruling YSR Congress Pparty ensured the herbal preparation to influential persons clandestinely by holding Mr. Anandaiah on the pretext of providing security, he alleged.
