Guntur (Andhra Pradesh) [India], February 1 : Police on Sunday tightened security at the residence of former minister and YSRCP Guntur district in-charge Ambati Rambabu after alleged vandalism by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) activists.
A large number of TDP activists gathered outside Ambati Rambabu's house on Saturday night. The group allegedly damaged his residence and office, vandalised vehicles parked on the premises, and set some of them on fire.
Following the incident, police stepped up security in the area to prevent any further trouble. Acting on the directions of Guntur District Superintendent of Police Vakul Jindal, additional police personnel have been deployed at Ambati Rambabu's residence and office located in the Vikas Nagar area.
Meanwhile, Rambabu was arrested at his residence in Vikas Nagar, Guntur, a day earlier after police surrounded the area, took him into custody, and escorted him in a police van, according to the Guntur West DSP.
The protest was launched in response to alleged abusive remarks against Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu attributed to Ambati Rambabu. TDP workers demanded that Ambati Rambabu tender an immediate public apology, warning that failure to do so would prompt them to urge the police to file a formal case against him for the alleged abuse.
Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council, Botcha Satyanarayana, tried to contact the Chief Secretary and the Director General of Police to bring the situation to their immediate attention. However, both senior officials reportedly did not respond to his calls, raising serious questions about the government's response to a life-threatening incident, it added.
Following this, the former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party president, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, spoke to former minister Ambati Rambabu over the phone after he was targeted in a deliberate murder attempt by TDP goons, according to an official statement.