Amaravati, Jun 25 (IANS): Tension prevailed at Undavalli here on Thursday as police arrested leaders of the opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP) who were heading towards 'Praja Vedika' which was demolished by the government on this day last year.
The meeting hall, adjacent to the residence of TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu, was demolished a month after the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) came to power, terming it an illegal construction.
On completion of one year of the demolition, the TDP leaders wanted to visit the site but were stopped by the police, who told them that there is no permission for any gathering.
There was an argument between the two sides with TDP leaders insisting that they were proceeding to Chandrababu Naidu's house. The leaders included former minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, Varla Ramaiah, Kollu Ravindra, Nakka Anand Babu and Rajendra Prasad.
The police officers objected to the TDP leaders taking media persons with them. The opposition party leaders claimed that they had not invited anybody and the police were free to stop them.
However, the police refused to allow the TDP leaders to head towards Naidu's house. When they insisted, the police arrested them and shifted them to police vehicles. They were later taken to Mangalagiri police station.
Umamaheswara Rao alleged that the YSRCP government was resorting to undemocratic methods to suppress the voice of the Opposition. He recalled that the government wasted Rs 9 crore of public money by demolishing 'Praja Vedika'.
Varla Ramaiah said the government continued to pursue the politics of vendetta by using the police against the Opposition.
'Praja Vedika', a people's grievance cell, was built as an annexe to the residence of Naidu when he was the chief minister.
A month after coming to power, the YSRCP government demolished the structure on the ground that it violated norms of the River Conservancy Act, 1884.
The owner of Naidu's rented house was also served a notice for constructing the house in violation of all rules on the banks of the Krishna river.
The matter is currently pending in the high court.