The infighting in Andhra Pradesh’s ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in Sri Sathya Sai district came to fore on Saturday when a group of party men stopped a minister’s convoy and showed slippers.
The incident occurred at Penukonda when Energy, Forest and Environment minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy was on a visit to the district.
A group of dissident leaders and workers of YSRCP had gathered near Srikrishna Devaraya crossroads on national highway 44 to meet the minister and submit a memorandum against the “rival” group. On learning about this, supporters of local MLA reached there. This led to tension in the area.
Police rushed there and tried to disperse both the groups. As soon as the minister’s convoy reached there, the dissident group raised slogans and tried to stop it. There was a stampede-like situation. In the melee, some of the protesters showed slippers towards the minister’s vehicle.
The police cleared the way for the minister’s convoy by removing the protesters.