The convoy of Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) Chairman and YSRCP legislator from Nagari RK Roja, was briefly blocked on Sunday evening allegedly by sympathisers of her own party. The YSRCP supporters said that they were upset and felt that they were being sidelined and ignored, after they had worked hard for the party's victory in May 2019.
The YSRCP had swept the state, winning 150 out of the 175 MLA seats, besides 22 out of the 25 Lok Sabha seats in Andhra Pradesh.
The incident took place at KBR Puram, in Roja's constituency, as she was returning after laying a foundation stone for a village secretariat.
Visuals show locals in the area attempting to block the senior YSRCP leader's convoy and raising slogans, even as police personnel and other security forces push them back to make way for the convoy. Some of the protestors even managed to bang on the car repeatedly, in a bid to make Roja get down, before they were pulled away.
Based on a complaint filed by Roja with the Puttur police, a case has been registered.
Speaking to TNM, the Sub Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) of Puttur said, "We have booked five people for now, under Sections 143 and 149 (Unlawful assembly), 341 (Wrongful restraint) , 427 (Mischief causing damage), 506 (Criminal intimidation) and 509 ( Word, gesture or act intended to insult the modesty of a woman) of the IPC."
"It has been learnt that they were sympathisers of the party and there was an internal rift, which led to the incident," he added.
A popular actor who entered politics, Roja is known to be a trusted aide of YSRCP President and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and had won a second term from Nagari constituency in the recent polls.
Roja was touted to be appointed a minister in the state cabinet. However, owing to different considerations, Jagan had appointed her as the Chairman of the APIIC in July last year.