The Andhra Pradesh police have said that Kapu leader and former state Minister Mudragada Padmanabham, will continue to be under house arrest, unless permission is granted for his padayatra.

Mudragada was placed under house arrest along with other leaders on Wednesday at his residence in Kirlampudi, as he stepped out for his 'Chalo Amaravathi' padayatra.

Speaking to The Hindu, DGP N Sambasiva Rao said, "The bandobust at Mr. Padmanabham’s home town Kirlampudi will continue. We will not compromise on maintaining law and order. We request him not to test our patience. We will not keep quiet if he continues to strain our force." 

Rao also told the newspaper that  the state was even ready to arrest Mudragada, if he violated the law. As many as 1,190 persons were taken into preventive custody across the state on Wednesday.

East Godavari district is presently under 'siege', as several thousand police personnel have been deployed to control protesters demanding BC status for the Kapu community in the state.

All roads that lead to the Velagapudi Secretariat and Amaravati are being thoroughly checked, while the road that runs past state Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's residence, has been closed for traffic, reports add.

The police did not allow Padmanabham to speak to reporters, stating that Section 144 was in place, in the area, and sent him back inside his house, when he stepped out for his 'Chalo Amaravathi' padayatra.

The Andhra police had denied him permission, in the wake of the violence that broke out during an earlier meeting. 

At the height of the Kapu agitation in January 2016, activists set fire to the Ratnachal Express at Tuni in East Godavari district.

Following this, the TDP government constituted the Manjunatha Commission to look into the issue. 

Angered by the delay in the Commission's report, Kapu leaders planned the 400-km padayatra that would cover the districts of East Godavari, West Godavari, Krishna and Guntur, before ending at Amaravati.

IANS inputs