Tag : lathi-charge

Amaravati: Arson broke out in Amalapuram town in Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday when police resorted to lathi-charge at people who staged a protest against the proposed renaming of the newly-created Konaseema district as BR Ambedkar Konaseema district, with a number of police personnel left injured and the protestors opposed to the name change allegedly setting the houses of state minister P Viswarupu and a ruling YSR Congress MLA P Satish on fire. While the ruling party blamed unnamed forces behind the arson, all opposition parties hit out at the Jagan Mohan Reddy government over its "gross failure" in controlling the situation. The opposition parties appealed to people to observe restraint and ensure peace returned to Konaseema. State Home Minister Taneti Vanitha said some 20 police personnel were injured in stone pelting by the mob while the protestors torched a school bus. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC were clamped in Amalapuram even as additional police forces were rushed in to bring the situation under control. Eluru Range Deputy Inspector General of Police G Pala Raju, who rushed to Amalapuram, said they were observing restraint and trying to bring the situation under control. He said the injured police personnel were "not in danger." Trouble started when the police allegedly prevented leaders of the Konaseema Sadhana Samiti from going into the district Collector's office for submitting a memorandum against renaming the district and resorted to a lathi-charge. The Samiti was opposed to the proposed renaming of the newly-created Konaseema district as B R Ambedkar Konaseema district. As police tried to chase the Samiti leaders and workers away, stone pelting ensued. As trouble broke out, shops in the town downed their ...