The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu on Monday alleged that Andhra Pradesh's ruling YSRCP has introduced "police raj" in the state. He also accused a section of state police of harassing opposition leaders at the behest of the ruling party. Naidu made these remarks in a letter addressed to the Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police Gautam Sawang.
"It appears that the ruling YSRCP-induced police raj has replaced democratic government in AP. A section of police are harassing opposition leaders, along with the general public, against the backdrop of any iota of dissent against the government," alleged Naidu in a letter to Director General of Police Gautam Sawang.
He alleged that police are "executing midnight arrests of innocent people for voicing dissent, illegally placing opposition leaders under house arrest, detaining or harassing them, will file false cases for peacefully protesting anti-people policies" and others. Citing the case of TDP leader from West Godavari district and former MLA Chintamaneni Prabakar, Naidu asked what was the need to arrest him under a range of charges as he only protested the high fuel prices and submitted a representation to the local tehsildar. He also said that Prabakar was picked up while attending a wedding function in Visakhapatnam.
The Godavari district police had briefly arrested Prabhakar on Sunday for allegedly manhandling Sub Inspector Ram Kumar of Denduluru Police station of West Godavari, reported The Hindu. Prabhakar and his followers were blocking the vehicle of YSRCP leader to protest the fuel price hike. A case under IPC Section 353 for assault or criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty was booked against the TDP leader by the West Godavari police. He was detained at the Visakhapatnam Agency area, near Chintapalli. The police had detained the convoy in which the former MLA was a part, the police claimed they had no prior information about Prabhakar’s movements.
"What is the need to arrest an opposition party leader and former MLA in such an unscrupulous manner? Is it wrong to give representation to the government over problems being faced by the people in order to bring the same to the notice of the government?" he asked while asking Sawang to withdraw the cases filed against the TDP leader.
He claimed that the state is allegedly witnessing murders and rapes on a daily basis "as police are ignoring law and order and singularly focusing on filing false complaints against TDP leaders". He alleged people of the state are seeing "the high-handedness and undemocratic actions", and the "present style of police functioning will remain a black mark" on it.
"It is hoped that at least now, police would focus on controlling crime (murders, rapes, etc), instead of harassing opposition TDP leaders," he alleged.