Mild tension prevailed in Kuppam on Monday following a protest and rasta roko by Dalits of nearby Mallanur village.
According to information, authorities of Kuppam municipality launched an eviction drive against encroachments in government lands on the outskirts of Kuppam on Sunday. Steps were initiated to dump the gravel and debris at a nearby village tank at Mallanur.
On Monday, some Dalits led by the Madiga Reservation Porata Samithi (MRPS) objected to the dumping of debris in the village tank. This led to heated arguments between Kuppam YSRCP in-charge Murugesh and the Dalits. The MRPS activists alleged that two Dalits were injured in an attack by supporters of the YSRCP leader.
Demanding action against the YSRCP leader, the MRPS activists with the support of TDP and Jana Sena Party cadres staged a dharna at the Ambedkar Statue junction in Kuppam, demanding that a case of attempt to murder be registered against the YSRCP leader.
The MRPS cadres said that their leader Manda Krishna had spoken to the local police officials on this issue. Later, with police assuring them of action, the activists called off their protest.