Ex-home minister arrested as preventive measure

Former Andhra Pradesh home minister Vasantha Nageshwara Rao, was arrested as a preventive measure at Nandigama village in Krishna district for defying a police order and leading a march supporting the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, raising the slogan 'Jai Andhra'.

Rao, a Congress leader, had announced earlier that he would organise a public meeting at his native Nandigama today in support of Andhra Pradesh's bifurcation. He had also applied for police permission, which was denied. When he led the march, the police arrested him along with 15 of his followers 

Later, they were released on personal bond by the police. The police also arrested 14 of his opponents from the Congress, who led a march demanding that Andhra Pradesh should remain united. Tension was prevailed due to the two rival marches by Congress supporters and police deployed additional forces as well as imposed Section 144. 

By evening, the situation was peaceful and no untoward incident occurred, the police said. Since 1972, Vasantha Nageswara Rao has been agitating for bifurcating the state, though his political opponents in the Congress strongly oppose his views. 

PTI