Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], February 1 : Former Minister and YSRCP leader Ambati Rambabu was arrested at his residence in Vikas Nagar in Guntur on Saturday after police surrounded the place, took him into custody, and escorted him in a police van, according to Guntur West DSP.
During the arrest, an angry crowd had also gathered outside the residence, with police personnel pushing them back for safety measures.
This comes after Telugu Desam Party (TDP) workers on Saturday staged a protest at the office of the Guntur district YSRCP president, Ambati Rambabu, in Vikas Nagar, triggering a heavy police deployment and tense scenes in the city.
A large group of TDP cadres reached the YSR Congress Party district office and the residence of the former minister, pelting stones and attacking the premises with sticks and other objects.
The protest was launched in response to alleged abusive remarks against Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu attributed to Ambati Rambabu. TDP workers demanded that Ambati Rambabu tender an immediate public apology, warning that failure to do so would prompt them to urge police to file a formal case against him for the alleged abuse.
Amid rising tensions, a significant contingent of police personnel was dispatched to the scene to restore order. YSR Congress Party has expressed serious concern and called it a "murder attempt" on former minister Ambati Rambabu, stating that his life is under grave threat following the attack by TDP followers.
Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Botcha Satyanarayana, tried to contact the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police to bring the situation to their immediate attention. However, both senior officials reportedly did not respond to his calls, raising serious questions about the government's response to a life-threatening incident, it added.
Following this, the former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party president, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, spoke to former minister Ambati Rambabu over the phone after he was targeted in a deliberate murder attempt by TDP goons, according to an official statement.
YS Jagan enquired about Rambabu's safety, condemned the attack and assured him of the party's full support at every step, the statement added. YS Jagan said Andhra Pradesh has slipped into a state of "jungle raj" and that Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu is presiding over an atmosphere of lawlessness and political vendetta.
According to the release, he stated that acts of violence and murder attempts against opposition leaders are increasing by the day and are being carried out deliberately to intimidate voices questioning the government.
He expressed serious concern that police, who are duty-bound to provide protection, instead acted like mute spectators during the attack.
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