Andhra Police detains BJP leaders, workers during protest against setting up of Tipu Sultan's statue

Kadapa (Andhra Pradesh) [India], June 19 (ANI): As the Andhra government rolled out an order to install a Tipu Sultan statue in the state, the workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party held a protest in the state in Proddatur town of Kadapa district against the decision.
The BJP has appealed to the Muslim community to not accept the decision to erect the statue of Tipu Sultan.
Andhra Pradesh BJP general secretary Vishnuvardhan Reddy tried to reach Jinnah Road where the foundation ceremony was held yesterday. He was accompanied by Kisan Morcha's president and district BJP in charge Yalla Reddy among others. However, they were not allowed to visit that area and the leaders were detained by the police.
BJP AP president Somu Veerraju condemned the police act of illegally detaining their party leaders. He demanded to release the party leaders.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Sunil Deodhar has condemned the act and demanded an immediate release of BJP leaders. "Instead of the Tipu Sultan statue, erect the statue of Abdul Kalam", he suggested while speaking to the reporters.
Deodhar alleged that the YSRCP government in the state is erecting the Tipu Sultan's statue in the Kadapa district for "vote bank" politics. He warned the government of a large-scale protest if the statue gets erected.
"The Jagan Mohan Reddy government in the state is erecting the Tipu Sultan's statue at the Kadapa district for mere vote bank politics and the party will be going ahead with the larger scale agitation against the installation of the statue," Deodhar told ANI.
"Tipu Sultan was a barbaric king who killed thousands of Hindus and converted lakhs of Hindus to Islam. We cannot tolerate such an act by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government," he said. (ANI)