The arrest of Pulivendula TDP leader Mareddy Ravindranath Reddy, popularly known as B. Tech Ravi, and his subsequent 14-day remand, is being met with a stoic silence in the district’s political circles.
Mr. Ravi was arrested in a case dating back to January this year, when TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh arrived at the Kadapa airport to pray at Devunikadapa temple and Ameen Peer Dargah before kickstarting his Statewide ‘Yuva Galam’ Padayatra. During the melee, Mr. Ravi had allegedly behaved in a high-handed manner with the local police upon being denied entry into the Kadapa airport.
According to Deputy Superintendent of Police (Kadapa) Mohd. Shareef, an Assistant Sub-Inspector had sustained injuries due to the jostling at the airport, for which a case was registered at the Vallur police station. Rubbishing the police version that Mr. Ravi could not be arrested due to his non-availability all these days, the TDP leaders pointed out that Mr. Ravi himself had submitted representations to the Superintendent of Police a couple of times in the last few months.
TDP district president R. Sreenivasa Reddy, Mydukur leader and former TTD board chairman Putta Sudhakar Yadav condemned the arrest, stating that the ruling party was targeting the constituency in-charge leaders in a planned manner to create a ‘leadership vacuum’ and cause confusion among the cadre. Mr. Yadav said the TDP would not be cowed down by such fake cases and undemocratic arrests.
