AP: 4 Congress workers arrested for releasing black balloons near PM’s chopper

The Prime Minister landed in Gannavaram airport in a special aircraft and from there, he flew to Bhimavaram in West Godavari district in a helicopter to take part in a function

Four Congress workers were arrested in Andhra Pradesh’s Krishna district for releasing black balloons near Gannavaram airport near Vijayawada during the arrival of Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday. One more Congress worker is absconding.

Police immediately rushed to the spot and arrested the workers. (HT image)

The Prime Minister landed in Gannavaram airport in a special aircraft and from there, he flew to Bhimavaram in West Godavari district in a helicopter to take part in the 125th anniversary celebrations of freedom fighter Alluri Sitarama Raju.

Eluru range deputy inspector general of police G Pala Raju told Hindustan Times that the Congress leaders made an attempt to release black balloons in the air as part of a nationwide call to protest against the Prime Minister. As a precautionary measure, the Krishna district police imposed Section 30 of the Police Act and Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code in and around Gannavaram airport area.

“At around 8.30 am, an hour before the arrival of the Prime Minister, three Congress leaders – Sunkara Padmashree, Parvathi and Kishore – were seen walking towards the airport with black balloons. The police identified them and apprehended them and booked them under Sections 353 (using criminal force to deter public servant from discharging his duty), 341 (wrongful restraint), 188 (defying the orders issued by public servant) and 145 (unlawful assembly) of Indian Police Code. The balloons were also burst by the police,” he said.

Five minutes after PM Modi took off from Gannavaram airport, at a place named Soorampalli, about 4.5 kilometers away from the airport, two Congress members – namely Rajeev Ratan and Ravi Prakash – climbed an under-construction apartment and released some black balloons in the air.

“Though the balloons appear in the same frame as the chopper in pictures, they were actually very far away from the chopper. By the time they released the balloons, the Prime Minister’s chopper had left the airport,” Raju said.

Police immediately rushed to the spot and took Ravi Prakash into custody, while another Congress worker Rajeev Ratan was absconding. “The police are on the look-out for him,” the DIG added.

He asserted that it was a freak incident and there was absolutely no security lapse on the part of the police.

In Rajahmundry, too, the Congress workers led by Pradesh Congress Committee president S Sailajanath staged protest demonstrations and raised: “Modi go back, BJP down down” slogans.

The Congress workers were demanding that the Prime Minister take steps to fulfil the promises made in the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. They also wanted the announcement of a special package for backward areas of north-coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema.

The police arrested the Congress leaders, shifted them to Rajahmundry police station and released them later in the evening. Similar protests were resorted to by the Congress workers at Jangareddygudem town in Eluru district.

BJP state president Somu Veerraju strongly resisted the Congress protests and flying of black balloons during the Prime Minister’s visit. “There is a big conspiracy behind the flying of balloons closer to Modi’s helicopter. We shall lodge a complaint with the Union home ministry on this incident,” he said in a statement.