The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Congress-Praja Rajyam workers clash in Vijayawada

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Saturday, Dec 27, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Congress-Praja Rajyam workers clash in Vijayawada

Special Correspondent

Vangaveeti Radhakrishna’s car attacked
Malladi Vishnu’s followers stage dharna

VIJAYAWADA: The observance of the 20th death anniversary of former Congress MLA Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga Rao (Ranga) here on Friday witnessed clashes between the followers of his son and Vijayawada East MLA Vangaveeti Radhakrishna and Congress leader Malladi Vishnu. Thus, the struggle for Ranga’s legacy between his admirers in the Congress and his son who joined the Praja Rajyam recently reached a flashpoint.

The problem began when Mr. Vishnu, a loyalist of Ranga and a former chairman of the Vijayawada Guntur Tenali Mangalagiri – Urban Development Authority (VGTM-UDA), draped a Congress party flag and a tricolour ‘kanduva’ (upper garment) on Ranga’s statue on the busy Mahatma Gandhi Road, near the spot where Ranga was done to death by his political rivals on this day in 1988.

Though Mr. Radhakrishna too garlanded his father’s statue a few minutes earlier, he did not put up any PR flag.

Mr. Radhakrishna, on learning of Mr. Vishnu’s “symbolic gesture,” returned and removed all Congress symbols from the statue. Followers of Mr. Vishnu allegedly attacked the MLA’s car parked in front of his house close by. Provoked by the attack, Mr. Radhakrishna’s followers chased Mr. Vishnu and his associates. They reached the office of Mr. Vishnu on Besant Road, the business hub of the city, and tried to attack it. This led to much tension, resulting in closure of shops.

Mr. Radhakrishna claimed that it was wrong on Mr. Vishnu’s part to put a Congress flag on his father’s statue, while Mr. Vishnu countered saying the MLA’s followers did the same when they covered the statue with PR flags on December 21.

Mr. Vishnu and nine of his followers were taken into preventive custody by the police when they staged a dharna on Besant Road demanding action against the MLA.

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