Responding to allegations from opposition parties regarding widespread violence in the state in the lead up to local body polls in Andhra Pradesh, Director General of Police (DGP) Gautam Sawang told the media on Saturday that action will be taken in all reported incidents of violence.
Sawang said that the police had received complaints on 14 different incidents with regard to violence related to the local body elections.
"There were 35 bodily offenses reported, and in 8 cases, Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) was applied,” he said.
These 8 cases include the incident in Macherla town of Guntur district, where two TDP leaders -- MLC Buddha Venkanna and former MLA Bonda Umamaheswara Rao -- had their convoy attacked violently. The other incidents were reported from Veldurthi, Nellore Rural, Venkatachala Satram, Bathalapalli, Srikalahasti, Mydukur and Rayachoti, and in all eight cases, the accused have been arrested, he said.
On Wednesday, the two TDP leaders were in Guntur district when their car was attacked in Macherla town. TDP stated that the leaders had gone to file a complaint with the police regarding alleged obstruction by YSRCP workers when TDP candidates were filing their nominations to contest in the local body elections. TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu claimed that that the leaders had informed the police about their visit beforehand, and yet they were chased and attacked.
The TDP blamed YSRCP members and workers for the attack, with Naidu demanding a response from the DGP and the Chief Minister. Naidu even staged a sit-in outside the state police headquarters on Wednesday, after he was allegedly not allowed to meet Sawang.
Speaking about the Macherla incident, the DGP said that police officers had responded after the attack, and took the TDP leaders out of the location immediately. “Police have registered a suo motu case. We are looking into their reason for going to Macherla, and will verify their claims of informing the police about their visit beforehand,” the DGP said. Three people have reportedly been arrested and sent to remand in the Macherla case.
Leaders of the Jana Sena Party and the BJP in the state have also alleged that the YSRCP is using threats and violence in an attempt to win the local body elections undemocratically. BJP and JSP, contesting together as an alliance, have also alleged that their candidates were obstructed from filing their nominations in the presence of police and election commission officials.
“Police in the state are alert, and will verify every complaint that comes to them, whether through the State Election Commission, Returning Officers, or observers. As of now, we don’t see any major issues with law and order in the state. We will do our best to conduct elections peacefully,” Sawang said.
He also added that drones will be used in ‘left-wing extremist areas’ to oversee elections.
Sawang said that confusion and chaos was being created unnecessarily. “We are providing statistics. Do not believe rumours. Police will act firmly and inquire into individual incidents, and respond accordingly,” Sawang said.