TDP MLA, Minister clash at RB programme

The venue for Rachabanda Programme turned into a battle field with the Congress and Telugu Desam Party leaders indulging in a fist fight at Denduluru in West Godavari district on Saturday.

The clash started when TDP MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar criticised the district officials for not following the protocol in organising the official event. When Eluru MP Kavuri Sambhasiva Rao intervened to resolve the matter, heated argument took place between him and Chintamaneni Prabhakar. The conflict intensified further due to the interference of Tourism Minister Vatti Vasanth Kumar and the Minister and TDP MLA almost came to blows in the programme.

While the argument between the Minister and MLA was going on, the workers of both the Congress and TDP started attacking each other. Sensing that the situation was going out of control, the police resorted to mild lathi charge and arrested a few activists of both the parties. Prabhakar was also taken into custody. 

Additional forces were deployed in the entire area to prevent untoward incidents.

Later, talking to reporters MLA Prabhakar alleged that the State Government has turned the Rachabanda into a Congress programme. He said that the people of the constituency would teach a fitting lesson to MP Kavuri Sambhasiva Rao and Minister Vatti Vasanth Kumar in the next elections.