VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Police Officers Association (APPOA) has found fault with TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh’s comments on the Guntur Agraharam issue and condemned his alleged efforts to wrongly portray the incident for political mileage.
In a press release, the APPOA said that after the incident of the constable with a minor girl came to light, the district SP suspended the accused immediately and directed the police officials to register a criminal case against him.
When the parents of the girl lodged a complaint with the police against the constable, who is their neighbour, action was taken against him immediately based on the complaint. “When these are the fact, the TDP leader claimed that police constable tried to a rape a minor girl. This was far from the truth. Such comments for taking political advantage of the situation only creates anguish for the girl’s family,” the APPOA said. It urged the TDP leader to desist from making such “irresponsible comments”.
Hours after APPOA’s press statement was released, TDP official spokesperson Pilli Manikya Rao found fault with the association’s comments and described them as unwarranted. Speaking to the media, he said instead of making self-introspection, the department was trying to malign the image of Lokesh.
Reiterating what Lokesh said the other day about the incident, Manikya Rao said Lokesh only said what was reported in the media.
He advised the police officers association to stay away from playing politics and focus on its primary role — protecting the interest of the police officers. The TDP leader said if the association wants to speak, it should first explain why the constable was suspended.