Ayyanna Patrudu's arrest triggers protests across AP

Visakhapatnam: Narsipatnam town turned into a fortress as police cordoned off others parts in Anakapalle, Visakhapatnam and Alluri Sitharama Raju districts leading to this town, known as the gateway to the agency areas, to prevent law and order problem following early morning arrest of senior TDP leader and former Minister Ch Ayyanna Patrudu on Thursday.

Tension prevailed in various areas in undivided Visakhapatnam district as the TDP politburo member and his youngest son Rajesh were forced to board a police vehicle on the charge of encroaching a small piece of land belonging to the Irrigation Department. The CID officials said the former Minister grabbed the land to construct the boundary wall of his house and submitted forged documents to claim that the land in question belonged to him.

Family members of Ayyanna Patrudu alleged that nearly 200 policemen both in uniform and plainclothesmen sneaked into their house in the wee hours, forced open the doors and arrested Patrudu senior and his son, who was in 'deeksha.' Padmavati, wife of Ayyanna Patrudu, alleged that most of the policemen came drunk and did not allow her husband to change his clothes and take medicines and turned down their request to submit an arrest warrant.

Visakha East MLA V Ramakrishna Babu and former MP Palla Srinivasa Rao and other leaders were arrested under Section 151 of CrPC while going to express solidarity with the family of Patrudu. Their request to give an arrest order in writing was turned down by the police, saying in anticipation of commitment of cognizable offence, they were being taken into custody.

Even as TDP cadres staged protest across the State to decry the arrest of Ayyanna Patrudu, TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the YSRCP government was resorting to political vendetta against Opposition leaders. He alleged that the way his party colleague was arrested was highly condemnable.

Defending the arrest, Budi Mutyala Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister, told the media at Tadepalli that the law will take its own course. He said as per documents obtained by the CID, Ayyanna Patrudu grabbed the government land by producing forged documents and criticised the TDP cadres' attempt to prevent the arrest when police force went to his house to take him into custody.