Workers of the Telugu Desam Party tried to block the convoy of Bharatiya Janata Party President Amit Shah near Tirumala, Andhra Pradesh, on Friday morning, the Hindustan Times reported. The state’s ruling party has been at odds with the BJP-led Centre over the latter’s rejection of the demand for special category status for Andhra Pradesh.

Shah was in Tirumala to offer prayers to Lord Venkateshwara ahead of the Assembly elections in Karnataka on Saturday. Devotees at the temple shouted slogans against the BJP as Shah came out of the temple. When he was returning to Tirupati, TDP workers blocked his convoy at a check-post, wearing black badges and holding flags of their party.

This led to clashes between TDP and BJP workers. A TDP activist reportedly broke the windshield of a car in Shah’s convoy. The TDP workers shouted slogans like “Amit Shah, go back”, “We want justice” and “Give us special category status”.

Security personnel escorting the convoy and police officials at the check-post detained some of the TDP workers and dispersed the protestors.

When he heard about the incident, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said TDP leaders and workers should not violate the party’s discipline and that such an incident should not happen again. Being the ruling party in the state, party leaders should act in a responsible manner, he said, according to The New Indian Express.

The Telugu Desam Party pulled out of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance in March and moved a no-confidence motion against the Centre for failing to grant Andhra Pradesh special category status.