Several BJP leaders, including its national secretary Sunil Deodhar and workers were taken into police custody when they sought to march to the Jinnah Tower Centre in Guntur on Tuesday evening demanding that it be renamed after former President APJ Abdul Kalam.
After a meeting of the party's youth wing BJYM, the BJP leaders and workers tried to take out a protest march to Jinnah Tower but police foiled it and detained them.
For the past few months, the BJP and other Hindu organisations have been demanding that the historic Jinnah Tower be renamed but the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government paid no heed.
On Tuesday, Mr Deodhar, the co-in-charge of the party for the state, was in the city and sought to lead the protest.
The BJP demanded that the Jinnah Tower be renamed as A P J Abdul Kalam Tower.
BJP Rajya Sabha member GVL Narasimha Rao condemned the high-handed behaviour of the police against his party leaders and their detention.
In a tweet, he wondered "if we are in AP or Pakistan".
State BJP president Somu Veerraju said not only their party but also the people demanded that the tower be renamed.
He said there was widespread support for the demand to remove Jinnah's name and the tower be renamed after Abdul Kalam. "The state government cannot adopt an oppressive stance over our demand," Mr Veerraju added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
BJP Accuses Congress Of Inciting Violence Against PM Modi With 'Maut' And 'Hinsa' Remarks Why BJP Lost Lok Sabha Polls In Uttar Pradesh - 6 Reasons In Party Report At Key Party Meet, West Bengal BJP Leaders Seek Demand Accountability Amid Electoral Setback World's Largest Isolated Tribe Makes Rare Appearance In New Footage Why BJP Lost Lok Sabha Polls In Uttar Pradesh - 6 Reasons In Party Report Puja Khedkar's Mother Was Hiding In Lodge As "Indubai" Using Fake ID Delhi Court Refers BRS leader K Kavitha To AIIMS For Medical Check-Up Indian Fintech Sector To Reach $420 Billion By 2029: Digital Payments Body Fix Your FASTag On Windshield Else Pay Double. See New SOPs Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.