Konaseema: The protests over changing the name of a newly carved Konaseema district as Dr BR Ambedkar Konaseema district turned violent even as Section 144 imposed as protestors attempted to lay a siege to the collectorate in Amalapuram on Tuesday.

Konaseema Sadhana Samithi (KSS) took out a rally opposing renaming of the district after Dr BR Ambedkar. At least 20 policemen were injured after an angry mob pelted stones at them. The protestors pelted stones on the vehicle of district SP Subba Reddy and set several roadside vehicles including two school buses on fire. The District police chief has sustained head injuries in the attack.

The police have arrested a few miscreants as the mob went on a rampage for nearly an hour. The district administration has deployed additional forces in Amalapuram to control the situation.

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The angry mob attacked the camp house of Minister Pinipe Viswaroop and ransacked the office and set fire in the Kamanagaru area. Meanwhile, the home minister Taneti Vanitha took stock of the situation in Amalapuram by talking to the district administration. She said the perpetrators of violence in Amalapuram will not be spared. Vanitha said the name of Konaseema district was changed after the architect of Indian Constitution as per the aspirations of the local people.

It may be recalled here that the Andhra Pradesh government earlier this month had issued a notification inviting any objections or suggestions to the proposal from people living in the district. Konaseema region has a sizeable population of Dalit community which was demanding that a district in the State must be named after Dr BR Ambedkar.