Several workers of the ruling TDP were taken into police custody at Kesarapalli village near here today when they planned to block the convoy of Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, who arrived at Vijayawada airport to attend a public meeting in Guntur.
Led by member of the Legislative Council, B Venkanna, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) workers allegedly waved black flags and raised slogans saying Rahul had no right to set foot in Andhra Pradesh, which his party so "illogically divided" (in 2014).
"Rahul go back", the TDP workers shouted at Kesarapalli village located on the NH16, as the Congress vice president landed at the Vijayawada airport at Gannavaram this evening by a special flight from Chennai.
Rahul is scheduled to attend the Congress' Pratyeka Hoda Bharosa Sabha, a public meeting aimed at building confidence (among public) on special category state status to AP, at Guntur in the capital region.
Rahul was received at the airport by PCC chief Raghuveera Reddy, former Union minister M M Pallam Raju, Rajya Sabha member K V P Ramachandra Rao and other leaders.
Congress workers piloted Rahul's convoy in a bike rally from the airport to Vijayawada, where he stayed briefly in a hotel before proceeding to Guntur.
Earlier in the day, the TDP workers staged a rally in Guntur city protesting Rahul's visit.
"Having so brutally divided the state, the Congress has no right to organise the public meeting (on special status)," TDP senior leader Mannava Subba Rao said.
This is Rahul's second visit to Andhra Pradesh since 2014. Apart from Rahul Gandhi, former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav, JDU leader Sharad Yadav, CPI general secretary Suravaram Sudhakar Reddy, secretary D Raja and others from parties like the Trinamool Congress are scheduled to attend the public meeting in Guntur.
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