In a move that triggered off protests, unidentified miscreants vandalised the statue of late Congress leader Vangaveeti Mohana Ranga Rao in Vijayawada's Ajithsingh Nagar late on Saturday. 

As news spread, former MLA Vangaveeti Radha Krishna, who is Ranga's son, along with his followers and YSRC leaders staged a protest on Sunday until the police assured them that action would be taken against those responsible for the act.

Quoting eyewitnesses, the Times of India reported that the statue was made of plaster of paris, and some rickshaw-pullers first noticed that it was broken, following which they informed the police.

Quoting sources, TNIE stated that the statue of Ranga was removed from its platform and thrown onto the road.

The report also added that the police suspected that some drunkards could have been behind the incident. 

A case has been registered under Section 427 of the IPC for mischief. 

“Police told me that they would verify the CCTV footage to find out what happened. Following their report we would respond,” Radha told the media.

In April last year, a similar act of vandalism triggered off protests in Machilipatnam, when a statue of Ranga was found with broken pieces on the ground.

Read - From a minor gangster to leader of Andhra’s Kapus: Who was Vangaveeti Ranga?