Police foil Somasila visit, place YSRCP leaders under house arrest

Police on Saturday placed former Agriculture Minister and YSRCP Nellore district president Kakani Govardhan Reddy, along with other party leaders, under house arrest, thwarting their bid to visit the Somasila Reservoir.

Criticising Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for scrapping the Rayalaseema lift irrigation scheme, Mr. Govardhan Reddy alleged that Mr. Naidu had struck a secret deal with Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy.

Speaking to reporters from his Nellore residence, he said Mr. Naidu had inflicted great injustice on Rayalaseema, risking farmers’ lives for his disciple Revanth Reddy, and that police imposed house arrests and filed illegal cases whenever they raised questions.

YSRCP Nellore city in-charge MLC Parvathareddy Chandrasekhar Reddy, Nellore rural in-charge Anam Vijayakumar Reddy, former MLA Kiliveti Sanjeevaiah and others attempting to reach Somasila were also detained.

The leaders protested by sitting on the road and demanding access to the reservoir, but police blocked their vehicles, sparking tension in the city for several hours.