After a day of arson, Amalapuram town back to normal, says Andhra police chief

Normalcy was restored on Wednesday in Amalapuram town in Andhra Pradesh that witnessed widespread arson in protest against the move to rename the new Konaseema district after B R Ambedkar.

"We have registered seven cases and taken over 40 miscreants into custody. We have deployed a force of over 2,000 personnel under the supervision of two Additional Directors General of Police. The situation remains normal in the district now," State Director General of Police K V Rajendranath Reddy told PTI.

He said the police were investigating into what exactly triggered the violence on Tuesday.


"We are analysing the CCTV footage and other evidence. We will bring the guilty to book," the DGP added.

The move to rename the newly-formed district triggered arson in Amalapuram on Tuesday evening, with the protestors opposed to the name-change setting the houses of State Minister P Viswarupu and a ruling YSR Congress MLA P Satish on fire.

Some buses were also set ablaze in the town while over 20 police personnel, including senior officers, were injured in stone-pelting by the mob. Prohibitory orders under Section 144 Cr P C were clamped in the town to quell the mobs and restore order. Today, protesters tried to stage dharnas in Amalapuram, Ravulapalem, Ambajipeta, Kandriga and other places, but the police foiled the attempt.