Jagan-Chandrababu war heats up as police curbs on TDP chief continues

Telugu Desam Party president and Leader of Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday staged a sit-in protest on the road near the bus station at Gudipalle mandal headquarters as the police prevented him from going to the local party office.

After the protest, Naidu climbed onto his vehicle and addressed the public, slamming Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy for bringing in a government order prohibiting roadshows.

He also asked the police to "stop the slavery" and work as per law.

"This is democracy. Respect the law. People will revolt if you don't implement law in a proper manner," he warned the police.

"I pity the police. It is not their fault but of the CM ruling over them. I am only reminding the police of their duties and responsibilities," he added.

The police erected barricades on the roads in Gudipalle that prevented TDP workers from entering the village for Naidu's tour.

Two days after seizing the TDP chief's campaign vehicle, the police silently towed it to an undisclosed location.

The former chief minister reacted furiously to this and demanded that his vehicle be returned to him.

As the police refused to bring back the vehicle, Naidu squatted on the road along with TDP leaders and workers saying that as the local MLA, he had every right to visit his constituents.

"Should I not meet my people and address their grievances? How can you prevent me from this," he asked.

Stating that his fight was for the five crore people of the state, Naidu said: "Five crore people are on one side and the CM is on the other. Have YSRC leaders not held roadshows in Macherla, Nandigama and other places after the 'dark GO' was issued? Are there different rules for me and YSRC leaders?"

He vowed to fight till the state was rid of Jagan Mohan Reddy's rule.

Meanwhile, the Rallabudugur police registered a case under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, including attempt to murder, on several TDP workers, including women, based on a complaint filed by an inspector of police.

In his complaint, Inspector G Ashok Kumar alleged that about 50 TDP activists formed into an unlawful assembly on January 4 for the visit of Chandrababu Naidu.

When told that there was no permission for their roadshow, the TDP workers obstructed his duties and also beat up a constable with sticks, causing bleeding injuries, the inspector alleged.

"CI Tulasi Ram and I tried to prevent them but the accused with an intent to kill, stabbed me with a flag stick. As I tried to thwart the attempt, they inflicted injury on the fingers. Further, they caused head injury to Tulasi Ram and constable Vinod Kumar also," Ashok Kumar alleged in the complaint.

Based on this, police registered a case of attempt to murder against nearly 50 TDP workers.

Criticising this, Naidu wondered how an attempt to murder case could be foisted on women.

"The society feels ashamed of the police action," he remarked.