Cops detain BJP leaders for violating prohibitory orders

Tirupati: The police on Friday detained BJP leaders, who were on the way to V Kota to meet party workers, as prohibitory orders are in force in the mandal headquarter town, 135 km from here.

The vehicle in which the BJP leaders going to V Kota including district president B Chandra Reddy, party State spokesperson G Bhanuprakash Reddy, state secretary Samanchi Srinivas and others was stopped by the police at Gangavaram, 15 km from V Kota and the leaders were taken to the police station there.

The police officials told the leaders that as prohibitory orders were imposed in V Kota since last evening following a clash between BJP activists and minority community, no one will be allowed to go there.

Bhanuprakash said that they were going to meet party workers who were attacked by a group enraged over the complaint against a shopkeeper in V Kota police station. The BJP activists photographed the sale of chicken violating the ban on the sale of meat on the Independence Day by a shopkeeper belonging to minority community and complained in the police station.

The shopkeeper along with other members of his community including local YSRCP leader came to the police station and attacked BJP activists when they were coming out after lodging the complaint, Reddy said alleging that police remained silent spectators. "We were proceeding to visit some of the party activists, who sustained injuries in the attack," he said denying police that they were planning to protest.

Bowing to pressure from ruling YSRCP leaders, Reddy said that V Kota police did not register the complaint on the incident yesterday and registered the case only after he met and complained to Chittoor SP, today. He demanded the arrest of those involved in the attack on BJP activists. Later, the BJP leaders were let off.