TDP Leader, Former Minister Devineni Uma Arrested For Rioting

KRISHNA DISTRICT: Former Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Devineni Umamaheswara Rao and several TDP leaders were arrested on Wednesday, for allegedly creating tension and resorting to rioting at G. Kondur police station, in Krishna district. District Superintendent of Police (SP) Siddharth Kaushal said that Umamaheswara Rao and his followers were booked under Section 307 IPC (Attempt to murder), SC and ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989, Rioting, Criminal Conspiracy, and other charges. Devineni  Uma was shifted to Nandivada police station on Wednesday and heavy police security was deployed at Nandivada village. People, including the media, were prevented from entering the village. COVID Tests will be conducted on Devineni Uma and he is likely to be produced before a magistrate after the examination.

As per reports the TDP leader and several activists, in a pre-planned manner went into Kondapalli reserve forests on Tuesday evening,  alleging that illegal mining was being done by the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leaders. The TDP leaders resorted to assault and attacked YSRCP leaders there. Devineni Uma was also seen inciting the TDP cadre to attack them. Police were called in to disperse the rioters and a few policemen were injured and some vehicles were also damaged in the incident, the SP said.

Eluru Range Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police KV Mohan Rao said that Umamaheswara Rao and other arrested TDP leaders would be produced in the court. The Andhra Pradesh government is in the process of marking housing sites to be distributed to the poor at Jagannanna Colony in Gaddamanugu,  G. Kondur mandal. As part of that, work was underway to clear the land, and plotting was being done at the site. Devineni Uma, who sought to spread false propaganda that illegal mining was taking place in the forest land descended on the village with more than 50 TDP workers in a pre-planned manner to disrupt the activities. He also attempted to spread false information that the local MLA also had a role in the mining.

The local YSRCP leaders present there questioned Uma Devineni for making such false allegations. This led to a confrontation between the two groups leading to an altercation. Meanwhile, Uma stormed into the Kondur police station, making false allegations that he had been attacked by YSRCP activists leading to tension in G. Kondur till one o'clock in the morning.

Meanwhile, a clash broke out between the TDP activists and the police as the TDP activists moved to the village in large numbers on Uma’s orders. This led to Devineni Uma’s arrest and he was later shifted to Thiruvoor police station.

Mylavaram MLA Vasantha Krishna Prasad shared the visuals of the TDP leaders' assault on the YSRCP cadre, clearly exposing the TDP's role in the assault. They also attacked the car of YSRCP leader Paladagu Durga Prasad of G. Kondur and another Dalit activist Suresh.

In the visuals, Devineni Uma was seen provoking the TDP activists who were about to hit them with stones and sticks during the incident. Devineni Uma meanwhile went ahead spreading false propaganda with the help of the Yellow media alleging that the TDP had been attacked in a bid to cover up facts. YSRCP leaders were enraged and condemned the fact that the TDP was showing their vehicles being damaged as that belonging to the Opposition leaders, in the media.

Additional police forces have been brought in to bring the situation under control at G. Kondur, Nandivada, Mylavaram, Kondapalli and Ibrahimpatnam, and a picket has been posted there to avoid further attacks.