Several TDP leaders were taken into custody by the police on Wednesday when they were planning to lay siege to the office of the Director of Mines & Geology (DMG) at Ibrahimpatnam as part of their ‘Isuka Satyagraha’ protests against illegal sand mining.
A large number of police personnel were deployed in the vicinity of the DMG’s office to thwart the protests that were aimed at exposing the alleged sand mining at over 500 illegal reaches/quarries.
TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu had given a call for the protests, alleging that the sand mafia had earned ₹40,000 crore with the tacit support of the YSRCP government.
K. Atchannaidu, TDP State president and Tekkali MLA, said in a press release that the government could not bury the truth by having the protesters detained.
He said it was evident from the ‘house arrests’ that the YSRCP leaders were involved in the illegal mining that has been going on unchecked for over four years.
“The TDP will bring to light the illegal excavation and sale of huge quantities of sand, which has not stopped despite orders being issued by the Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal,” Mr. Atchannaidu said.