VIJAYAWADA: TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday lashed out at the police department and the State government for “illegal detention” of his party activists and supporters on the pretext of cybercrimes.
Addressing a press conference in Guntur on Thursday evening, the TDP chief launched a broadside against the police department for registering cases against several TDP workers under sections irrelevant of the charges foisted against them.
“On what basis did police register such cases and who gave them the power to act beyond law,” Naidu demanded to know and asked the Director-General of Police to explain under whose authority did a police officer in Chilakaluripeta sent a live telecast of a TDP worker being tortured by the police to Chilkaluripeta MLA V Rajani.
Pointing out at the cases booked under Section 66 and other sections of IT Act 2000, he said it is unconstitutional as the Supreme Court issued certain guidelines to be followed if the cases were to be booked under the Act. “Police department has failed to follow those guidelines, which is tantamount to violating the Constitution,” he alleged.
Giving a power-point presentation on the “police harassment” of TDP workers for their social media posts, the TDP chief alleged that the police were not taking action against YSRC supporters for abusive posts.
“It is not Pulivendula to act as Jagan likes. By engaging in such activists, Jagan is making himself more unpopular. We will appreciate good work, but will not tolerate abuse and oppression,” he said.
P Koteswara Rao, a TDP activist from Chilakalurpeta, who was reported to have been illegally detained by police for five days and tortured and the same was allegedly shown live to Chilakalurpet MLA V Rajani, explained what happened to him and said Sub Inspector Surya Narayana crossed all limits. “Today we live in fear,” Rao lamented.
MGNREGS fund: Naidu writes to Centre
Vijayawada: Accusing the State government of not releasing the funds released by the Centre under MGNREGS for payment of wages and clearing pending bills and diverting them for other purposes, Leader of the Opposition N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday shot off a letter to Union Minister of Panchayat Raj, Rural Development and Agriculture Narendra Singh Tomar, requesting Centre’s intervention in getting those funds released at the earliest. Naidu wrote a letter to Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on the Subject on Tuesday. Expressing his concern over the neglect of the government in clearing the MGNREGS bills, the TDP chief said it was high time the Centre took a serious view of the issue.