A YSRCP MLA was found violating lockdown orders on Wednesday, as police caught him trying to cross the Karnataka-Andhra state border without a travel pass. Burra Madhusudan Yadav, MLA of Kanigiri constituency in Prakasam district, was trying to travel from Bengaluru to Kanigiri, accompanied by 38 other people, in a convoy of 5 vehicles.
Andhra Pradesh police stopped him at a border check post near Cheekalabylu village of Madanapalle mandal in Chittoor district, around 11 30 am on Wednesday. “The MLA and his relatives had come from Bengaluru in 5 vehicles. As they did not have permission, we asked the relatives to return to Bengaluru. The MLA was allowed to travel to Kanigiri once the required permissions were obtained from the DGP’s (Director General of Police) office,” said Dileep Kumar, Sub-Inspector, Madanapalle Taluk.
No case has been registered against the MLA or his relatives, police said, as they were stopped before they could cross the border. “The others were sent back to Bengaluru before they crossed the border. The MLA was allowed to travel only after obtaining the required permissions from the DGP’s office, as per the protocol here for crossing the state border,” SI Dileep Kumar said.
Earlier on Saturday, Kovvur MLA and senior YSRCP leader N Prasanna Kumar Reddy was booked by the police in Nellore, for allegedly violating lockdown. The MLA was reportedly distributing essential commodities at a school, which resulted in a large gathering.
Police registered an FIR against Prasanna Kumar Reddy and seven of his followers for violating the prohibitory orders in place during the lockdown, preventing people from gathering outdoors to enforce social distancing. Police officials present at the spot where the gathering happened were also pulled up for not enforcing social distancing.
After the case was registered, Prasanna Kumar Reddy staged a sit-in protest in front of the police station, and even called up the District Collector, demanding that the case must be withdrawn.