Jagan detained, forced to abandon 'Odarpu yatra'

A defiant Congress Member of Parliament Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, who set out on a tour to Warangal district, was taken into custody on Friday and was made to return to the city after one person was killed in violence that erupted due to opposition to his visit by pro-Telangana agitators.

The Kadapa MP is returning Hyderabad abandoning his 'Odarpu yatra' following the death of one person during the violence that erupted in opposition to his tour to Warangal district of Andhra Pradesh, a senior police officer said.

"It appears that one person has died during the violence. But, whether he died in police firing is yet to be established," a senior police officer of Warangal range, told PTI over phone.

Earlier in the day, Jagan embarked on his seven-day 'Odarpu yatra' in Warangal district to console families whose members allegedly committed suicide following the death of his father and late Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy.

All India Congress Committee general secretary and Union Law Minister Veerappa Moily had on Thursday asked the Kadapa MP to cancel the yatra and not disturb peace in the Telangana region.

Reddy, however, ignored the AICC directive and proceeded to Warangal, even as pro-Telangana activists tried to block his train at several places.

The protesters squatted on railway tracks, burnt Congress posters and flags and also pelted stones at railway properties at many places, according to police.

The pro-Telangana activists also clashed with Congress supporters at Nehru circle in Mahabubabad town prompting police to resort to baton charge to disperse the two groups.

"The Congress workers were planning to take out a rally in support of Jagan's yatra, but the pro-Telangana activists who have already announced their opposition to his yatra clashed with the Congress workers," a police official said.

The activists vandalised Mahabubabad railway station where Reddy was supposed to reach at 11 am. There was heavy stonepelting and the mob attacked Congress Member of Legislative Assembly Konda Surekha and her Member of Legislative Council husband K Murali, who were waiting to receive the Kadapa MP.

Their security personnel immediately escorted the couple to a room at the railway station and opened fire to quell the rioters.

Agitated protestors, however, continued to hurl stones, leading to a clash between them and the Congress workers who came to receive Reddy.

The Inter-City Express in which Reddy was travelling from Hyderabad to Mahabubabad was detained at Vangipalli railway station following a bomb scare.

Meanwhile, a spokesperson of the South Central Railways told PTI that they had regulated 14 trains on the route towards the Mahabubabad railway station.

"We had received a alert from the local police about bomb threat and hence we are running a 'Security Pilot Train' between Kazipet-Mahabubabad and Kaizpet-Jangaon railway stations to check the tracks before the passenger trains are allowed on the route," the SCR official said.

Reddy abandoned his 'Odarpu yatra' after one person died during the violence, however, the post mortem report is awaited, police said, adding some police personnel also sustained injuries in heavy stone-pelting at Mahabubabad railway station.

Asked, if police were planning to arrest Reddy, a senior officer said "Jagan was granted permission to undertake the yatra but he is now returning to Hyderabad following the violence."

Though Jagan had made it clear that his yatra was apolitical, it was being vehemently opposed by the Telangana Rashtra Samithi and other Telangana outfits as he is opposed to the statehood demand.

Scores of TRS activists and other Telangana protagonists, who were trying to stop Reddy's yatra, were taken into custody by the police.

The Telangana Joint Action Committee comprising the TRS and various people's organisations had vowed to stop Reddy's yatra.

Students of Osmania University here and Kakatiya University in Warangal had warned that they would go to any extent to stop his visit.

"We will definitely stop Jagan's yatra if he goes to Warangal district," JAC convener C Kodandaram had said.

Interestingly, 11 Congress MPs from Telangana region had requested the party high command to direct Reddy to drop his plans as tempers were running high in Telangana.