Amaravati, Dec 17 Tension gripped Macherla town of Andhra Pradesh while police deployed additional forces and imposed prohibitory orders on Saturday to prevent violence following overnight attack on the house of a leader of opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP).
Police either detained several leaders of TDP or placed them under house arrest to stop them from reaching Macherla town in Palnadu district.
Blaming ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) for the attack on TDP leader Brahma Reddy, the opposition party called for protests and several leaders were trying to proceed to the town.
About 40 people attacked the house of Brahma Reddy house, ransacked and set it afire. The armed mob also damaged over 10 cars and torched two vehicles. The inmates alleged that the assailants took away cash and gold jewellery by breaking open the locker.
Following the attack, tension gripped the town. Police rushed additional forces to the town. Superintendent of Police Ravi Shankar Reddy was monitoring the situation.
Prohibitory orders under section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code were imposed to prevent further violence. Shops and business establishments were closed while on the advice of police state-owned Andhra Pradesh State Road Transport Corporation (APSRTC) suspended the bus services till further notice.
The SP said cases were booked in connection with the Friday's incidents. He said police were trying to identify and arrest the culprits. He, however, clarified that there was no political angle to the incidents. He termed it as a fight between two groups.
Police say tension had been brewing between two groups ever since TDP took up protest programmes against the YSRCP government.
The TDP, however, alleged that YSRCP men attacked the house of its leader with a plan and the police remained mute spectators.
Meanwhile, police in the united Guntur district placed TDP leaders under house arrest to prevent them from reaching Macherla. Tension prevailed at TDP office in Guntur as police tried to stop party leaders from heading towards Macherla.
TDP Palnadu district president B. V. Anjaneyulu was also kept under house arrest even as he was planning to call on SP to submit a complaint about Friday night's violence.
Senior TDP leader D. Narendra was placed under house arrest in Guntur as he was leaving for Macherla. Another senior leader P. Keshav warned that the ruling party would have to pay a heavy price for continued attacks on TDP leaders.
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