Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president Gidugu Rudra Raju has termed the striking down of the GO. No. 1 by the High Court as “a victory of the people.”
In a statement on Friday, Mr. Rudra Raju said the party had challenged the G.O. in the High Court, and senior counsel Jandhyala Ravi Shankar put up a strong argument on behalf of the party.
He alleged that the YSRCP government was trying to use the G.O. to trample on the rights of the people and stifle the voices of the opposition parties and people’s organisations.
“In a democracy, the opposition parties deserve respect, which is missing in the State,” he said.
Mr. Rudra Raju said the Congress party would continue its war against the anti-people policies of the YSRCP government, and would rely on court of law and people’s court to restore order in the State.
He said, through the writ petition filed in the High Court, the party argued that the State government had no power to issue the G.O., as such power was vested in the Police Act, 1861, enacted by the Union goverment, which gave powers to the State Police to regulate public assemblies and processions and issue licences for the same.
The G.O. cannot override statutory powers conferred on the Police Department exclusively, he said, adding that “the government is not competent to supersede or control any police functionary.”
“The G.O. takes away the powers of the police and gives them to the Home Secretary, who is a Government functionary in violation of the Police Act,” he said.
