Tambaram: Tamil Nadu BJP leader Amar Prasad Reddy was arrested on Saturday in connection with the attacking and damaging of a JCB machine that was brought to remove an illegal flag pole in Chennai.
The flag pole was to be removed from outside Tamil Nadu BJP chief K Annamalai’s Chennai residence.
According to the Tambram Police, no permission was sought from the Greater Chennai Corporation before the installation of a 45-ft flag pole outside the compound wall of Annamalai’s house on Friday evening.
This flag pole was dangerously close to high voltage power lines and was causing inconvenience to the public, the police said, adding that a decision was later made by the corporation and the police to remove it.
Amar Prasad Reddy’s arrest was condemned by BJP leader Kapil Mishra, and he pointed out the importance of “safeguarding dissent in a democracy”.
According to police, when officials and workers arrived to remove the flag pole, around 110 BJP workers protested.
“Despite repeated requests, they kept arguing with government officials. Subsequently, some of them were arrested and let off on bail,” a police official said.
Apart from Reddy’s arrest, a police case has been registered against six persons in the case. Five of them have been remanded to judicial custody.
