Atmakur (Representative of Harikiran and Punnami):
Police stopped YSRCP leaders who were visiting the Somasila reservoir on Thursday as part of the Chalo Somasila program, which is part of the implementation of the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project. Tension prevailed for some time after the police denied permission to the party leaders and activists who had come in large numbers to go up the dam.
YSRCP district president and former minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy, along with former MLAs, MLCs and other key leaders, visited the Somasila reservoir. However, the police did not allow the activists to go to the top of the dam. Initially, only a few key leaders were given permission, which led to dissatisfaction among the activists.
As only the party district president, former MLAs and MLCs were allowed to go up the reservoir, the remaining leaders and activists protested against the police’s behavior. They shouted slogans saying that it was wrong to obstruct a program undertaken on public issues.
Speaking at the meeting held later, YSRCP District President Kakani Govardhan Reddy said that it is the responsibility of the opposition parties to fight for the problems of the people. He criticized that it is not a right approach to use the police to obstruct the programs being carried out on behalf of the people and for the people. He said that the Chalo Somasila program was organized to explain to the people the benefits that the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Project will bring to the Nellore district. He said that the problems will not be solved by obstructing such public movements and asked the government to focus on the problems of the people. However, as a large number of activists reached the Somasila reservoir, police sources revealed that the police stopped the activists as a precautionary measure to prevent any untoward incidents and for security reasons. Finally, only a few key leaders visited the Somasila reservoir and inspected the situation. Meanwhile, the political atmosphere at Somasila heated up for a while due to this incident.