Andhra Pradesh - Guntur   

Police foil Opposition attempt to lay siege to Collectorate

GUNTUR: A strong police contingent foiled attempts of a determined Opposition to lay siege to the District Collectorate here on Thursday. The united Opposition had given a call to lay siege to the Collectorate in protest against the discrepancies in the allotment of fertilizers.

Scores of senior leaders of the Telugu Desam Party, Communist Party of India and CPI(M), including Kodela Siva Prasada Rao, Muppala Nageswara Rao and D. Rama Devi were however forcibly taken away by the police, who did not take chances in view of the large gathering.

Even as leaders and supporters descended in droves, police in riot gear swiftly moved in and took positions and cordoned off the Kasu Vengal Reddy Chowk in front of the district Collectorate. The leaders were allowed to squat on the road and stage a sit-in protest for some time, before the police moved in and forcibly shifted them to the Nagarampalem police station. Among the senior leaders who were taken into preventive custody were, Kodela Siva Prasada Rao, S. Aruna, State TDP youth president Beera Ravichandra Yadav, district president P. Pulla Rao, CPM district secretary D. Rama Devi and CPI district secretary Muppala Nageswara Rao.

Mild tension prevailed as supporters stormed the police station premises demanding the immediate release of the leaders.

Some of them rushed towards the Old Nagarampalam police station after rumours rent the air that some of the party supporters were stopped and lodged in the police station.

As the leaders were prevented from entering the collectorate, Joint Collector Kantilal Dande visited the venue and told them that the district administration was doing everything possible to streamline the allotment and the distribution of fertilizers. When the leaders tried to argue with him, the J.C left the place.

Anticipating trouble, police moved in and took the leaders into preventive custody.

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