The Andhra Pradesh Police Officers’ Association demanded an apology on Thursday from YSRCP MLA, R K Roja, for her comments against Director General of Police N Sambasiva Rao. Roja had called him a 'slave' of Andhra chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu. She had also labeled the police as 'bouncers'.
Addressing the media, Association State president J Srinivasa Rao said that the police was not a slave to any individual but to the public.
Srinivasa Rao was quoted by The Hindu saying, "The police department is striving hard, more so after bifurcation, to maintain law and order in the new state. It is facing many challenges. Instead of boosting our morale, such harsh words will dampen the spirits of the policemen.”
On February 11, the actress-turned-politician was detained by the police from Gannavaram airport to prevent her from attending the National Women's Parliament (NWP).
Roja claimed that she had come to attend the NWP in Andhra’s upcoming capital Amaravati, on the Andhra Speaker’s invitation.
In a video she claimed, “At the airport, the Assistant Commissioner of Police said that they were sending me to a hotel, and made me wait from 8.50am to 10.20am. After that with police protection, they put me in a car and are taking me on Ongole road."
However, Srinivasa Rao reportedly said that police had received information that Roja had planned to disrupt the proceedings, and to conduct of the event smoothly police took her into preventive custody.
"Being a people's representative, it's not at all good for Roja to make such comments against the DGP. If she felt anything wrong, she might have approached the judiciary rather than making false remarks against the police", Srinivasa was quoted in The New Indian Express.
The association has asked the MLA to withdraw her comment, and also said that the bodyguards of Roja would also stage a protest wearing black badges if she does not apologize to the DGP.
It was reported on Tuesday that Roja had filed a private case against the DGP and five other police officials.
Meanwhile the APPOA president was quoted by The Hindu saying “Under Section 101 of the IPC, criminal proceedings can be initiated and police can arrest anyone.”