Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary and Member of the A.P. Legislative Council N. Lokesh was taken into preventive custody in Srikakulam on Sunday (August 21) morning when he was on his way to visit Palasa to meet the party leaders and activists, who were up in arms against Minister for Animal Husbandry Sidiri Appala Raju’s s alleged harassment and misuse of police and revenue administration.
Mr. Lokesh, who was also scheduled to attend a marriage at Pathapatnam, was not allowed to enter Srikakulam town, leading to protests by the party leaders and activists.
The leaders who had gathered at the entrance of Srikakulam to welcome Mr. Lokesh were shocked with he was detained though the situation was normal in Srikakulam.
Former Ministers K. Muralimohan, K. Kala Venkata Rao and N. Chinarajappa condemned the police action and raised slogans against the police.
Mr. Lokesh said it was not appropriate on the part of the police to detain him as he was neither a terrorist nor an anti-social element.
Later, Mr. Lokesh was sent to the JR Puram police station at Ranasthalam, about 30 km from Srikakulam. After detaining him there for a brief period, he was allowed to go to Visakhapatnam instead of Palasa.
Mr. Muralimohan accused the YSRCP government of misusing the police.
Srikakulam MP K. Rammohan Naidu, former MLA G. Lakshmi Devi, and senior leaders K. Ravikumar and J. Bhimasankar deplored the detention of Mr. Lokesh.
Meanwhile, tension prevailed at Palasa when the YSRCP leaders planned to take out a rally and stage a protest at the TDP office, seeking an apology from former TDP MLA Gowthu Sireesha for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Mr. Appala Raju.
Superintendent of Police G.R. Radhika said there was no permission for rallies and protests as prohibitory orders under Section 144 were in force at Palasa.
Ms. Sireesha said she would not tender any apology as she was registering her protest in a democratic manner.
She alleged that the revenue officials had recently demolished a building owned by TDP councillor Suryanarayana accusing him of encroaching “tank lands” in the town.
She said YSRCP leaders had not extended their support to Mr. Appala Raju as they they knew that the Minister was misusing his power in Palasa constituency.
In Visakhapatnam, tense situation prevailed at Rushikonda and later at the airport as the police allegedly prevented Mr. Lokesh from speaking to the media. At Rushikonda, while he was addressing the media, the police allegedly disrupted the proceedings and took the TDP leader to the airport, where he tried to speak to the mediapersons again.
Politics of vengeance: Naidu
Meanwhile, TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu and a few other leaders took to the Twitter to condemn the police action against Mr. Lokesh.
Wondering why Chief minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was nervous about Mr. Lokesh’s visit to Srikakulam, Mr. Naidu said the party leaders had lost their properties during the demolitions taken up at midnight by the government and were facing illegal cases.
“Under which law Mr. Lokesh has been detained? The government is resorting to politics of vengeance,” Mr. Naidu said.
“The police should remember that they are not working for the YSRCP,” he added.
TDP Polit Buro member Yanamala Ramakrishnudu said the police owed an explanation on why Mr. Lokesh was taken into custody.
“It seems the Opposition leaders have no right to move in the State. The TDP leaders and Mr. Lokesh should be released immediately,” he said.
Another Polit Bureau member Kaluva Srinivasulu said the government should allow Mr. Lokesh to visit Palasa.
TDP general secretaries P. Anuradha and M. Venkata Raju, Telugu Mahila president V. Anita, and official spokesperson K. Greeshma condemned the police action.
