TDP leaders’ bid to visit Kondapalli forest foiled

They allege illegal mining in the area; cases booked against 50 leaders of both TDP and YSRCP

July 31, 2021 11:40 pm | Updated 11:40 pm IST - G. KONDUR (KRISHNA DT.)

The police on Saturday foiled the TDP leaders’ attempt to visit the Kondapalli reserve forest area in the district, and booked cases against 50 leaders of both the opposition party and the ruling YSRCP.

Alleging illegal mining in the forest area, the TDP had constituted a fact- finding committee, which planned to visit the area.

However, the police placed the members of the committee under house arrest and stepped up surveillance on them.

A few YSRCP leaders, who also planned to visit the area, were taken into preventive custody under Section 151 of the CrPC, said Krishna district Superintendent of Police Siddharth Kaushal.

Forces deployed

The police deployed forces at Kondapalli, Ibrahimpatnam, Mylavaram and Gollapudi in Krishna district and in the Vijayawada Police Commissionerate limits to prevent the TDP team from entering the forest area.

A couple of days ago, the G. Kondur police had arrested former Minister and senior TDP leader Devineni Umamaheswara Rao when he visited the forest area. He was later remanded in judicial custody and lodged in the Rajahmundry Central Prison.

‘No permission’

Speaking to The Hindu , Eluru Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police K.V. Mohan Rao said the TDP leaders had approached District Collector J. Nivas seeking permission to visit the Kondapalli reserve forest area.

“The Collector refused to give permission to the TDP’s delegation in the wake of the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic. But the opposition party planned to visit the place illegally,” Mr. Mohan Rao said.

“As there is no permission for the TDP leaders’ visit, we have placed a few leaders under house surveillance. Police forces have been deployed and pickets arranged as a precautionary measure,” the DIG said.

Mr. Siddharth said a few protesters had been taken into custody and placed under house surveillance at Machilipatnam, Nuzvid, Mylavaram, G. Kondur, Reddygudem, Nandigama, Kanchikacherla, Jaggayyapeta, Nagayalanka and Chandarlapadu areas.

Former Ministers Nettem Raghuram and Kollu Ravindra, former MP Konakalla Narayana Rao, former MLAs Sriram Rajagopal and Tangirala Sowmya, and a few others were kept under house arrest. About 20 others were kept under house surveillance, he added.

“The situation is peaceful in Kodapalli village and in the reserve forest,” the Mr. Siddharth said.

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