TDP chief and the Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu was put under house arrest on Wednesday morning when he set out to take up ‘Chalo Atmakur’ march from his residence at Undavalli, Guntur district in protest against the alleged harassment of TDP cadre by the ruling YSRC party.

A large number of TDP leaders including former ministers and MLAs were put under house arrest or were taken into preventive custody by police across the state since early in the morning.

Condemning the arrests, Chandrababu Naidu described today as a dark day in democracy and decided to sit on fast at his residence itself till 8 p.m.  Speaking to his party leaders via teleconference, he expressed dismay over the ‘overbearing’ attitude of the state government.

“Is it a democracy to stifle the voices which question the atrocities?” he questioned and accused the police officials of even hindering the supply of food to those staying in the protest camps in Guntur.

Naidu’s son and TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh was stopped at his residence in Undavalli when he started out to participate in the rally.  Party MLA Gadde Ramamohan was also taken into custody at the protest camp in Guntur.

Tension prevailed when TDP youth leader Devineni Avinash, TD Janardhan staged a sit-in at Undavlli caves protesting the house arrest of Chandrababu Naidu. Police, who were deployed in large numbers, arrested the protesters and took them away from there.

Former minister and TDP deputy floor leader in the Assembly K Atchan Naidu tried to meet Chandrababu Naidu at his residence but was detained mid-way and arrested amidst protests. Vijayawada MP Kesineni Nani was also arrested at Prakasam Barrage when he was going to Naidu's residence.

Former Ministers Devineni Umamaheswara Rao, P Pulla Rao, K Sravan Kumar, and others were put under house arrest at their respective residences.  Former Minister Bhuma Akhila Priya was place under custody at the hotel she was staying in Vijayawada. Several TDP leaders in the Palanadu region of Guntur district were bound over.

Sec 144 was imposed in the Guntur district and Sec 30 of Police Act was imposed in the Palanadu region. Additional forces were deployed at sensitive locations.

Permission was also denied to YSRC leaders when they got ready to take out ‘Chalo Amaravati’  protest to counter the TDP protest march. Police were deployed in large numbers at the YSRC party office in Guntur.  YSRC MLAs Ambati Rambabu, Gopireddy Srinivas Reddy, and others said they want to take out Challo Amaravati to counter the false propaganda of TDP.  He said during five years rule of TDP in the state, YSRC party leaders were subjected to severe harassment and intimidation.