TDP chief and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu will be meeting President Ram Nath Kovind at 12:30 pm on Monday, October 25, to demand invoking of Article 356 in the state. Naidu, who was on a 36-hour Deeksha until Thursday evening, took a flight to Delhi on Monday morning ahead of the scheduled appointment. Naidu will be urging President Kovind to put an end to the alleged law and order failures, financial bankruptcy and economic collapse in Andhra Pradesh by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government by imposing President’s Rule in the state.
Naidu has maintained that the attack on TDP offices and the house of TDP spokesperson Pattabhi Ram was “state-sponsored terrorism”. TDP is making the demand for President’s Rule for the first time, as in principle it has been against the same, Naidu had said earlier.
Meanwhile, the Guntur police arrested 10 people on Saturday for their alleged role in the attack on the TDP headquarters in Mangalagiri. The Vijayawada police have also arrested 11 people for their role in the attack on TDP spokesperson Kommareddy Pattabhiram’s house. Pattabhiram’s house was attacked on October 19 by a group of unidentified persons. The attack was allegedly in response to the spokesperson’s “unparliamentary comments” against Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. At the TDP headquarters, the miscreants pelted stones, attacked vehicles, broke window panes and ransacked the office. The following day, Naidu had called for a shutdown in the state to protest against the attacks.
Mangalagiri police have formed four special teams to identify those behind the attacks. The police have also sought CCTV footage from the TDP office as part of the investigation. Naidu also hopes to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah to discuss the attacks and to demand invoking of Article 356 in the state.