Tension prevailed in Tadipatri town of Anantapur district on Monday morning as the police kept municipal chairman and former MLA J C Prabhakar Reddy under house arrest. The police tried to shift him to the house from the road leading to commotion.

Prabhakar Reddy had announced earlier that he would stop all vehicles carrying sand alleging that illegal mining is happening in Penna River at Pedapappuru village. He said he and the TDP activists would even set fire to the vehicles that carry the sand to stop illegal mining.

Following this announcement, the police reached his house and closed all ways into the house. The police also provided barricades along the road leading to Prabhakar Reddy’s house. The police also arrested the TDP activists who tried to break the barricades and go into Prabhakar Reddy’s house.

The TDP leaders and workers started reaching Prabhakar Reddy’s house in large numbers as the police also increased security. All roads leading to Prabhakar Reddy’s house in the town were closed and nine TDP leaders were shifted to various police stations.

Prabhakar Reddy condemned the police action. He came down heavily on the police for keeping him under house arrest. He wanted the police to stop illegal mining rather than stopping him at his house. “Why are you standing at my house? Go stand along the Penna River and stop illegal mining,” Prabhakar Reddy shouted at the police.

The police said that Prabhakar Reddyhad given a threatening call to set vehicles on fire. They said that such calls would lead to law-and-order problems in the town. The police also said that setting vehicles on fire is a crime and they have kept the municipal chairman under house arrest only to prevent him from committing the crime.