Workers of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) clashed at Tadepalli on Saturday, after the YSRCP cadres attempted to “cleanse” a public road used by Andhra Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu.
The YSRCP workers reportedly poured cow urine on the main road leading from Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's residence at Undavalli to the temporary secretariat. They called it a 'cleansing act', and claimed that they were carrying it out to remove the 'bad omen' left by Naidu using the road.
However, they also added that their action was in retaliation to a similar move by TDP workers.
According to reports, TDP supporters marched from Malkapuram to Velagapudi on Friday, sprinkling turmeric water on the roads that YSRCP chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy had used during his Amaravati tour.
As the YSRCP began their counter-protest, TDP workers arrived at the spot, escalating tension.
After a verbal argument that lasted for several minutes, and blocked the road, the police stepped in.
G Ramajaneyulu, DSP, Mangalagiri, told The Hindu that the police had chased away both groups after denying them permission to hold any form of protest on the main road.
TNIE also reported that Section 144 was put into force in the Amaravati capital region.
YSRCP chief Jagan has been on a tour of various parts of Andhra to highlight governance problems of the TDP government. On Friday, Jagan toured Amaravati villages, meeting farmers losing their land to the capital city. He demanded that these farmers be paid the full market price and their rehabilitation be carried out properly and comprehensively.
On Saturday, he toured the coastal districts, meeting patients with kidney ailments in PC Pally Mandal in Prakasam district. Here, he hit out at the Naidu government for being apathetic towards health care in the state.