Tension in Vijayawada after YSR statue is removed

The demolition of a 12-feet high bronze statue of Congress's former chief minister late YS Rajasekhar Reddy at the police control room in the city by the authorities of Vijayawada municipal corporation on Saturday as part of road widening triggered a major controversy, marked by high level political drama. They took away the statue while bulldozing the pedestal, amid protests by YSR Congress leaders and workers. Police arrested and shifted them to a police station. Congress MP and Rajasekhar Reddy's close aid KVP Ramachandra Rao visited the place of demolition later and trained guns against the government for allegedly stooping down to the damage of the statues of opposition parties' iconic leaders in the name of urban development.

“Government has delierately removed Dr. Rajashekara Reddy’s Statue in the guise of Pushkaram and road-widening works. The operation which began around 1 a.m. continued up to 4 a.m. The arrested leaders were shifted to different police stations and were not released so far,” said the YSR Congress party leaders.