MP Navjot Sidhu creates scene at toll plaza

NELLORE: Maverick BJP MP and former Test cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu allegedly pushed a security guard at a toll plaza on Tuesday and forcibly took him away in his vehicle leading to protests from the guard's family and villagers who demanded action against the MP. Sidhu was on a tour of Nellore.

It all began when the guard, Chenchu Ramaiah, allegedly hurled a stick at Sidhu's car which whizzed past the Venkatachalam toll plaza at Tallampadu village in Doravarisatram mandal without showing any ID proof or payment of toll fee. This led to a crack in the windshield. An enraged Sidhu came back to the plaza, overpowered Ramaiah and another guard and bundled them into his vehicle!

Plaza manager Lionel intervened and tried to pacify Sidhu. But an unrelenting Sidhu pushed him aside and sped away; shocked by the development, the staff at the plaza shouted for help. Soon, locals gathered and ran after the MP's car.

Sidhu's car meanwhile zoomed towards Nellore where the MP was invited to attend a programme of Swarna Bharathi Trust, owned by senior BJP leader M Venkaiah Naidu.

On receiving information, Gudur police rushed to the trust office and rescued the two security guards. Sidhu, however, had a heated argument with the policemen and asked them to register a case against the plaza staff for attacking him and his vehicle.

Senior police officers assured that they would take action after conducting an inquiry into the episode. Sources said police did not register a case against anybody following a request by Naidu.

Sidhu did not stop there, though. After attending the programme, he again reached the Venkatachalam toll plaza on his way to Tirumala in the evening where he found two lorries carrying a large number of cattle.

Sidhu jumped off his car and sat on a dharna on the national highway. He wanted the cops to take action against those involved in transporting the cattle to the slaughterhouse.

Meanwhile, sources said that hundreds of locals also gathered at the plaza and picked up a heated argument with Sidhu over his actions earlier in the day. As the melee continued, police rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the agitated MP. An hour later, Naidu, who was travelling to Chennai, also reached the plaza and tried to calm him down.

After failing to convince Sidhu, Naidu urged district SP Ramana Kumar to immediately send a team of senior officers to counsel Sidhu. Gudur DSP Suresh Kumar and inspector Srinivasula Reddy reached the spot and seized the lorries carrying the cattle. The SP also spoke to Sidhu and promised action against the cattle transporters under relevant Acts.

It was only then that Sidhu relented and left for Tirumala around 6 pm. Kumar told TOI that no case has been registered against Sidhu or the plaza staff.
SourceTimes of India