Mild tension prevailed in Vinukonda town of Andhra’s Guntur district, after the removal of two statues of TDP leaders on Saturday night. Statues of former Chief Minister and founder of TDP N T Rama Rao, and former MLA Paritala Ravindra, were removed from the Vishnukundi Nagar locality in the town. 

Former MLA from Vinukonda and TDP Guntur district president G V Anjaneyulu, was placed under house arrest following attempts to hold protests against the removal of the statues. 

Vinukonda police said that the statues, which were installed on the banks of Perumalla branch canal, were removed based on a court order, according to Deccan Chronicle. Police said that a man named D Yedukondalu had filed a petition in the High Court seeking removal of the statues, claiming that they were installed illegally on the canal bank. 

Although the court ordered the removal of the statues more than two years ago, civic officials and revenue authorities did not implement these orders. With this, Yedukondalu filed a contempt of court petition in the High Court, following which the town authorities took the matter to the notice of the district collector. The collector then directed the town officials to remove the statue, The New Indian Express reported. 

TDP workers, who had been opposing the move for a long time, attempted to protest the removal of the statues on Saturday night, demanding their reinstallation. This led to the house arrest of local TDP leader G V Anjaneyulu, according to reports. TDP supporters have also reportedly demanded that statues of former CM Y S Rajasekhara Reddy also be removed in the town. 

Objecting to the incident, Nara Lokesh, TDP MLC and son of TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu wrote, “It is atrocious that the idols of late Shri Nandamuri Taraka Rama Rao and the late Shri Paritala Ravindra are being removed in Vinukonda constituency of Guntur district. I strongly condemn the house arrest of the TDP senior leader GV Anjaneyulu who questioned the removal of statues.”