NEW DELHI, May 24: Many police personnel and protesters were injured in a clash between Konaseema Sadhana Samithi (KSS) members and the police following Violence in Andhra Pradesh’s Amalapuram town on Tuesday afternoon after the police lathi-charged a group of people opposing the proposed renaming of the newly-created Konaseema district as B R Ambedkar Konaseema district.
Violence erupted during the ‘Chalo Konaseema’ march, which was taken out on Tuesday against the proposal to rename Konaseema district. In the violence, the house of Transport Minister Pinipe Viswarupu was set on fire. The minister and his family were moved to safety by the police. A police vehicle and an educational institution’s bus were also set on fire and stone pelted on police.
Last week, Section 144 was imposed in the Konaseema district in the wake of protests against the proposal to rename the district. Konaseema SP K.S.S.V. Subba Reddy said many people, including police personnel, were injured in the clash. “We do not know the exact number of personnel injured in the clash. The clash was a result of an online campaign launched by different sections of people and groups on the proposal to rename the district,” he said.
By afternoon, the protesters attempted to proceed towards the Collectorate in Amalapuram via the Clock Tower area in the town from different directions. Initially, they were prevented by the police. Later, the protesters resorted to stone-pelting, targeting the vehicles of the SP and Amalapuram DSP. DSP Y. Madhava Reddy reportedly fell unconscious during the clash.
Many police personnel escaped from the scene as the protesters outnumbered them and pelted stones from all directions. The mob set fire to a private bus that was parked at the protest site. A police vehicle was also set on fire. “The situation was brought under control by 5 p.m. We are focusing on providing medical aid to those injured in the clash,” Subba Reddy said. However, tension prevailed across the Konaseema district.
On April 4, the new Konaseema district was carved out of the erstwhile East Godavari. Last week, the state government issued a preliminary notification seeking to rename Konaseema as B R Ambedkar Konaseema district and invited objections, if any, from the people.
(Manas Dasgupta)