Veteran leader and MP JC Diwakar Reddy began an agitation in his own style this time against an ashram in Anantapur district. He took sides with the residents of Chinnapolamada village and launched protest against the Prabodananda Ashram over long-time clashes between them. In the past three days, the villagers turned angry as they were not being allowed to take Ganesh immersion procession through the Ashram street. Clashes erupted and several persons were injured with vehicles damaged as well.

Enraged at the attack, JC launched his protest at the village and blamed the police for not taking sufficient action against the Ashram. He did not stop at that and went on to compare the Ashram activities to those of controversial and once banned Dera Sacha Sauda in Haryana. It may be recalled that Dera was in national spotlight for all wrong reasons a few years ago. Its Guru Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was prosecuted and jailed for charges of rape and murder. Lakhs of followers of multi-religious social group Dera Baba dared to attack the police and some of them got killed in the resultant clashes at that time. Now by comparing with Dera, JC launched a full scale fight against the Prabodhananda ashram. He alleged that illegal and objectionable activities were taking place there. He also demanded that the Chief Minister’s Office take serious view of this. As JC sat on dharna at the Tadipatri police station, the police bosses had a difficult time to convince him to give up his protest.

G. RaviKiran