VIJAYAWADA/KADAPA: Protesting against the I-T raids on his party leaders, Andhra Pradesh chief minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu staged a sit-in at Dr BR Ambedkar Statue in Vijayawada on Friday afternoon.
He vehemently condemned the I-T raids on TDP leaders and described it as a conspiracy hatched by YSRC and BJP. “Modi government is ordering I-T raids to obstruct us from conducting our election rallies. Yesterday it was Sudhakar Yadav and Nani and several other leaders before that. They are targeting weaker sections leaders. It is most condemnable,” he said.
Predicting downfall of BJP in the elections, Naidu warned Narendra Modi from resorting to such demeaning actions. “They conducted similar I-T raids in Tamil Nadu before elections. The result was that rivals got more majority than Jayalalitha. IT raids on DK Siva Kumar in Karnataka saw BJP lose face. Similar raids on Delhi CM Kejriwal and his associates saw BJP lose popularity. Similar raids on Mayawati and Akhilesh Yadav in Uttar Pradesh saw BJP suffer defeat in Gorakhpur,” he pointed out.
Accusing Modi government of acting against the spirit of Constituency, he said he was forced to postpone his electioneering to stage protest here, condemning the unjust and demeaning actions of Modi government. “We will oppose every such action and Modi will be left as anti-democratic in the history,” he said.
Naidu said they have lodged a complaint with Chief Election Commissioner, who said he was not aware of the raids and would write a letter to know the facts. “After election notification was issued, who is Modi to order I-T raids. People should understand, if we will allow such things, this will be last elections. Everyone should condemn it. All they can do is take our lives and nothing more,” he said.
TDP chief advised I-T department to understand the fact that this government is not permanent and they should refuse to act on such directions, else they have to pay a heavy price later. “Tomorrow this government will not be there. Those who resorted to false raids will be held accountable We will not let you go scot free, remember,” he warned
Pointing out at LK Advani’s remarks, Naidu said for Modi, power comes first and country comes last. He said such people should not be spared and taught a lesson
TDP chief said Jagan Mohan Reddy praises Modi to the sky and says he will remain as PM. Last two-days sitting in his Lotus Pond residence in Hyderabad, Jagan hatched conspiracy for conducting I-T raids on TDP leaders in the state, he claimed.
Earlier in the day, Kadapa district police swooped in on the house of TDP MP (Rajya Sabha) CM Ramesh in Potladurthi of Yerraguntla mandal. Around 30 police personnel led by Yerraguntla Circle Inspector BV Ramana arrived at the house of Ramesh.
Taking objection to them trying to search his house, a three-storied building, Ramesh asked them to show a search warrant. However, police said they do not have a search warrant and have come to search his house along with other houses. Ramesh called the district SP Abhishek Mohanty, who asked him to cooperate with police. Following it, police were allowed to search the house for about one hour and returned empty handed.
Speaking to media persons, Ramesh said it was a conspiracy by Jagan Reddy’s party. ‘Out of fear, seeing the overwhelming response to Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu’s election rallies including in TDP, YSRC is resorting to such underhand tactics. Today Election Commission is in hands of BJP and Vijaya Sai Reddy and acting as per their directions,” he said.
When contracted by TNIE, Yerraguntla CI BV Ramana said they have searched the house of CM Ramesh and others as part of the cordon and search operations conducted in the area as per the directions of Election Commission.
However, TDP activists took to streets describing the searches as a conspiracy of BJP and YSRC chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy to suppress TDP. They said earlier it was the house of TDP candidate and former chairman of TTD Putta Sudhakar Yadav in Proddatur and questioned why the houses of BJP and YSRC leaders were not being searched.
TDP leaders searched by I-T personnel/police recently
P Narayana - Nellore
Putta Sudhakar Yadav - Proddatur
Kovelamudi Ravindra - Guntur (In Brodipet)
Ugra Narasimha Reddy - Guntur (Amaravati Hospital)
P Rama Rao - Ongole
Beeda Mastan Rao - Nellore
CM Ramesh - Kadapa
YS Chowdary - Hyderabad