VIJAYAWADA: Tension prevailed at Penamaluru police station here on Saturday when TDP leaders and activists staged a dharna protesting against an "attempt to register a bind-over case" against a local TDP leader in the wake of a clash with Congress workers during campaign for local bodies election.

The trouble began at Kanuru village when a group of Congress workers, led by former sarpanch Gopalakrishna Murthy, who owes allegiance to local MLA Devineni Rajasekhar (Nehru), tried to snatch a couple of banners displayed by TDP activists as part of poll campaign.

The banners in Telugu with slogans such as `Indiramma Rajyam - Intinta Madyam' (Indiramma rule means liquor in every house) and `Congress Vaari Hastam - Neragalla Nestam' (The hand of the Congress is a friend of criminals) irked local Congress leaders, who objected to their display.

In the scuffle that ensued, Congress activists allegedly passed some remarks against TDP workers.

TDP leaders alleged that even though they lodged a complaint against the Congress workers, the police tried to foist a bind-over case on TDP mandal president Devabhaktuni Chakravarthi.

TDP protest

A large number of TDP workers reached Penamaluru police station and sat on a dharna to prevent the police from registering the case against their partymen. TDP urban president and former MP Gadde Rammohan and other party leaders reached the spot and entered into an argument with the police.

Mr. Rammohan and other TDP leaders refused to stop displaying the banners in question, saying it was their right and they would display them even more vigorously. If the Congress leaders had any complaint, they should lodge it with the SEC, they contended.

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