New Delhi: On Tuesday, protests opposing the renaming of Konaseema district became violent, torching the homes of Andhra Pradesh Minister Pinipe Vishwaroop and MLA Ponnada Satish.
The district’s name will be changed to BR Ambedkar by the state administration, led by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy.
The police were apparently unable to manage the demonstrators, who marched straight to the minister’s home. The agitators set fire to the house’s furniture and destroyed everything. Three parked cars on the property were also set on fire.
Vishwaroop and his family left after being warned that furious demonstrators were approaching his home. The minister was brought to a safe location by the police in Amalapuram. The family members in the residence were also quickly evacuated.
Protesters set fire to the home of Andhra Pradesh Minister Pinipe Vishwaroop.
Near Vishwaroop’s residence, at least three RTC buses were smashed, and protesters threw stones at police, wounding some officers. The difficulty was aggravated by the fact that there were insufficient police personnel to control the protesters. Section 144 prohibition orders were being enforced, according to Superintendent of Police Subba Reddy.
Vishwaroop criticised the attack on his home, claiming that the Chief Minister did not make the choice to rename Konaseema district on his own, and that all parties had demanded it.
He claimed that the Janasena, led by Pawan Kalyan, had demanded that the district be named after BR Ambedkar, and that the TDP leader and former chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and the Bharatiya Janata Party had backed the demand (BJP).
Protesters set fire to the home of Andhra Pradesh Minister Pinipe Vishwaroop.
Following the arson incidents, Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Taneti Vanitha announced that Konaseema would be renamed Ambedkar district by popular vote. Vanitha and Vishwaroop claimed that certain miscreants were attempting to incite disturbances on purpose.
The miscreants will be prosecuted, according to the Home Minister.
Pawan Kalyan, a politician and actor, has also urged for calm.
In Andhra Pradesh, angry demonstrators contesting the renaming of Konaseema district set fire to a bus.
The police and security forces strive to keep the enraged demonstrators under control.