Andhra Pradesh police on Wednesday detained YSRCP media wing general secretary Srihari Pudi over a social media post allegedly targeting Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, officials said.
Police said Pudi has been booked in a case registered in Chittoor district and is being taken to Kuppam for further legal proceedings. “We are bringing him in connection with a social media case. He is with us,” an official told news agency PTI, adding that he will be produced before a local court later in the day.
YSRCP, however, termed the detention illegal and alleged that Pudi was picked up while travelling from the residence of former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in Tadepalli, Guntur district. The party also claimed that police seized his mobile phone and laptop during the detention and did not disclose his location, raising concerns over transparency and civil liberties.
YSRCP accused TDP of “making a mockery of democracy” by using what they termed a “Red Book constitution” to file false cases against YSRCP leaders and functionaries. The party alleged that the detention was aimed at diverting attention from former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s scheduled visit to the Juvvaladinne fishing harbour in Nellore district.
The party said that it would not be intimidated and would approach the judiciary to seek justice and “expose undemocratic practices” of the ruling coalition.
(With PTI inputs)