TDP leader K Atchannaidu arrested for threatening rebel candidate in Srikakulam
Srikakulam police on Tuesday arrested former minister and president of TDP Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, and twelve others for preventing rebel candidate Kinjarapu Appanna from filing nomination for Gram Panchayat elections at Nimmada Panchayat in Srikakulam district.
By Newsmeter Network Published on 2 Feb 2021 7:22 AM GMT
Srikakulam: Srikakulam police on Tuesday arrested former minister and president of TDP Kinjarapu Atchannaidu, and twelve others for preventing rebel candidate Kinjarapu Appanna from filing nomination for Gram Panchayat elections at Nimmada Panchayat in Srikakulam district. Police said that Atchannaidu and few others allegedly threatened Appanna over the phone.
The arrest of Atchannaidu led to protest from TDP activists. The activists raised slogans against the YSRC government. A tense atmosphere prevailed at Nimmada village in Srikakulam district following the arrest of Atchannaidu and the proposed visit of YSRC leader and member of Rajya Sabha V Vijaya Sai Reddy on Tuesday.
Anticipating untoward incidents, police have deployed huge number of personnel at Nimmada and Kotabommali in Srikakulam district.
The YSRC leaders said that Atchannaidu called his nephew Appanna and asked him not to file a nomination. However, Appanna refused to withdraw citing that his wife lost her government job during the TDP regime and their family didn't get any benefits from TDP.
When Appanna decided to file the nomination, TDP activists and followers of Atchannaidu rushed to his residence at Nimmada and prevented him from visiting the election office. There was a commotion at Appanna's residence on Sunday and both YSRC and TDP activists almost came to blows. Appanna finally filed the nomination with the police escort.
Based on the complaint from Appanna, police registered cases against 22 persons and Atchannaidu was the accused number three in the case.Amid huge police force, police shifted Atchannaidu to local court.
It was the second time that Atchannaidu was arrested during the YSRC government. It may be recalled that Atchannaidu was arrested by Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) for his alleged involvement in multi-crore Employees' State Insurance Corporation scam in June 2020 and he was released on bail after a month.
