Tension in Nandyal after YSR statue vandalised, 1 held

Tirupati: Tension gripped Nandyal town after a local resident vandalised a statue of former chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy on Sunday. The accused was identified as Ch Jambulaiah, a resident of Chakalipeta in Nandyal town.Jambulaiah took everyone by surprise when he scaled up the YSR statue at the busy Srinivasa Nagar circle and began hitting the head of the statue with a stone. Moments later, he completely decapitated the head of the statue and brandished it in front of shocked onlookers, creating widespread panic and confusion.Local police rushed to the spot and took Jambulaiah into their custody. Preliminary investigation by the police revealed that the accused is a mentally disturbed individual with a documented history of severe alcohol addiction.Scores of YSRCP local leaders and cadres gathered at the Srinivasa Nagar circle and staged a sit in protest and condemned the vandalism act. They demanded the police dept carry out a thorough investigation into the incident and not leave out the political conspiracy angle.Senior police officials confirmed that the accused has been formally arrested, and a comprehensive investigation is currently underway to determine the exact sequence of events and diffuse further political unrest.