Large scale arson and violence broke out in otherwise peaceful Amalapuram town in Konaseema region on Tuesday, as the agitation protesting against proposed renaming of the newly-created Konaseema district as B R Ambedkar Konaseema district,
When large number of protesters were marching towards district collectorate to submit their representation, the police tried to prevent them stating Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC were clamped and resorted to lathi-charge.
This had irked the protestors, who tried to storm into collectorate, thrown stones on the police. As police tried to chase the Samiti leaders and workers away, stone pelting ensued. As trouble broke out, shops in the town downed their shutters even as the protestors allegedly went berserk and first set a school bus on fire.
They later went to the house of Transport Minister Viswarupu and torched it. Sensing trouble, police had by then moved the family members of the ministers out to safety. Later, the protestors targeted Mummidivaram MLA Ponnada Satish’s residence and set it on fire.
According to Home Minister Taneti Vanitha as many as 20 police personnel, including Superintendent of Police and two DSPs were injured. She told reporters at the Secretariat here that some parties and anti-social elements apparently instigated the arson. “It is unfortunate that over 20 police personnel sustained injuries in the incident. We will conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and bring the culprits to book,” she added.
Principal opposition Telugu Desam Party, BJP, Jana Sena and the Congress hit out at the government over its gross failure in controlling the Amalapuram situation.
“The arson in Konaseema, known for its peace, is unfortunate. The Home Minister made baseless allegations on a delicate issue. This is completely a failure of the government and the police,” Telugu Desam chief N Chandrababu Naidu said in a statement.
Jana Sena chief K Pawan Kalyan lashed out at the Home Minister for blaming the opposition parties over the Amalapuram incidents. “It is nothing but an effort to cover up the government’s failure in maintaining law and order. The ruling party is only seeking to push the blame on to the opposition to cover its failures,” Kalyan said.
State BJP president Somu Veerraju strongly condemned the incidents and blamed the government for failing to ensure peace. “The government should take responsibility for its failure to maintain peace in Konaseema,” he added.
