GUNTUR/VIJAYAWADA: Tension prevailed at Paramayakunta in Guntur city on Monday following the arrest of TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh after he met the family of engineering student Ramyasri, who was stabbed to death a day earlier. When Lokesh arrived there, TDP and YSRC activists clashed and levelled allegations and counter-allegations against each other of politicising the issue. He consoled the kin of the deceased and assured them of support till justice is done.
Meanwhile, a large police force was deployed near Ramya’s house as the leaders of both the YSRC and the TDP shouted slogans against each other. The police asked both the parties to leave following a scuffle between the police and TDP members.Enraged over it, Lokesh confronted the police for supporing the YSRC leaders. Urban SP Arif Hafeez and Rural SP Vishal Gunni who reached the spot tried to reason with him. As he refused to leave, he was arrested and shifted to Nallapadu police station. TDP leaders Nakka Anand Babu, Alapati Rajendra Prasad, Dhulipala Narendra and Kollu Ravindra were also detained. Later, Lokesh and others were released.
Earlier, TDP men staged a dharna demanding justice for the family members of Ramyasri when the latter tried to take her body from the hospital.The TDP demanded that the government either announce an ex gratia of `1 crore to the family or punish the accused by hanging him. The police reached the spot and shifted the body through another route.
DIG (Law and Order & Coordination, AP Police Head Quarter) SV Rajasekhar Babu condemned the comments by a political party, and the attempts to hinder the police from taking the body of the victim from the hospital to her house after postmortem. He said no one has the right to create a law and order situation. “They are making baseless comments against the police department. Everyone is seeing the the department has made every effort to resolve the crime at the earliest,” he said
Meanwhile, condemning the ‘high-handed behaviour’ of the police against TDP leaders who tried to meet the family members of 20-year-old Ramyasri in Guntur, TDP supremo and leader of opposition N Chandrababu Naidu demanded that the government take immediate action against the police officers who ‘attacked’ his party leaders.In a statement on Monday, Naidu demanded that the Jagan government pay an ex gratia of `1 crore to the family of Ramyasri. “Police attack on TDP leaders is a violation of human rights. It is a blatant attack on the democratic values of the country.” he said
On the other hand, YSRC MLC Lella Appireddy lambasted the TDP leaders for making a political ruckus in front of the deceased’s house while the family members were grieving. Giving a 20-day deadline to the YSRC government to complete the investigation into the murder, Lokesh, after his release, asserted that the TDP will launch another agitation on the 21st day if the CM fails to deliver his promise made during introducing the Disha Act in the State.
Addressing a press conference at the TDP central office, Lokesh termed it as unfortunate that the police were accusing the TDP of doing politics over the issue. “TDP leaders went to their residence only to give moral support and strength to the family.” He asked why the police harassed only the TDP leaders but did not issue any notice to the ruling party leaders who created a ruckus when the Opposition leaders’ went to Ramya’s residence.