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A few YSRCP leaders were arrested on Monday by the Guntur police in order to prevent the party’s fact-finding committee from visiting Dachepalli and Piduguralla limestone quarries in Guntur district.
Senior YSRCP leader Botsa Satyanarayana and other leaders were taken into custody at Khaja toll plaza, and have been kept in Duggirala. YSRCP cadres staged a protest in front of the Duggirala police station, demanding their release. Other YSRCP leaders were also reportedly stopped by the police from visiting Dachepalli.
Narasaraopeta also witnessed mild tension, as YSRCP leader Kasu Mahesh Reddy and MLA Gopireddy Sreenivas Reddy were kept under house arrest.
The Guntur police have already issued notices to several YSRCP leaders, directing them to refrain from going to Dachepalli and Gujarala, and section 144 has been enforced.
On Sunday, the YSRCP had announced that its fact-finding committee will visit the alleged illegal quarries in Dachepalli and Gurajala in Guntur district. The party alleged that Gurazala TDP MLA Yarapathineni Srinivasa Rao is involved in illegal limestone mining.
The YSRCP alleged that the police are filing cases against innocent people instead of leaders who have a role in illegal mining, and stated that they will visit these sites of illegal mining in order to expose the irregularities. The party’s fact-finding committee comprising Ummareddy Venkateshwarlu and Botsa Satyanarayana had given a call for Chalo Dachepalli, which was foiled.
In July, the Hyderabad High Court — responding to a PIL filed by former MLC TGV Krishna Reddy — issued notices to Srinivasa Rao, Principal Secretaries of the Revenue and Mines departments, the District Collector and the SP’s of Guntur and Guntur Rural.The court also directed the state government to submit a report on the investigation’s progress.
Speaking to the local media, Kasu Mahesh criticised the police for keeping him and other YSRCP leaders under house arrest.
“The same police system which could not catch or stop the illegal mining of 69 lakh tonnes of limestone in the last four years by MLA Yarapathineni Srinivasa Rao is arresting us for wanting to expose it,” he said.
Senior leaders Ambati Rambabu and Satyanarayana have condemned the arrests and prevention measures. "It is a well-known fact that the local MLA amassed hundreds of crores in wealth through illegal mining, but they're instead framing proxy personnel,” Rambabu said.
YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy also lashed out at CM Chandrababu Naidu.
“The unlawful arrests of YSRCP leaders, who were part of the Fact-Finding Committee for Gurajala mining scam; and proclaiming Section 144 is enough to prove who is culpable. @ncbn for how long will you use the brutal police force to suppress voices and cover up your scams?” he tweeted.
The unlawful arrests of YSRCP leaders, who were part of the Fact-Finding Committee for Gurajala mining scam; and proclaiming Section 144 is enough to prove who is culpable. @ncbn for how long will you use the brutal police force to suppress voices and cover up your scams?
— YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (@ysjagan) August 13, 2018
YSRCP senior leader Bhumana Karunakar Reddy also slammed the arrests.
“Despite the court strictures on Gurazala MLA on mining irregularities, when a team of our party’s senior leaders were stopped midway by police. It is a clear case of guilt and shielding the culprits who have been dredging deep,” he said.