Condemning the ‘‘undemocratic arrest’‘ of TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu ahead of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, leaders of opposition parties objected the “suppression of democratic protests” as what they called “misuse of the police machinery”.
At a round-table conference, organised by the All India Trade Union Congress, opposition party leaders said that it was unfortunate that the police did not allow TDP activists and other parties to protest in public spaces. Initiating the discussion, CPI leader Uputuri Prakasam Rao said the ‘‘intolerant’‘ Jagan Mohan Reddy government was detaining not only opposition party leaders but also civil society members such as teachers, government employees, lawyers and whoever else protested the “anti-people” tactics of the YSRCP Government.
TDP Ongole Lok Sabha unit president N. Balaji contended that the YSRCP Government put Mr. Naidu in jail though his name did not appear in the FIR of the Skill Development scam case, as they were “unable to digest the growing popularity of the TDP”. The Agrigold financial fraud victims, who were on a protracted struggle for nine-long years, were prevented from protesting in the CPI office in Vijayawada recently, said AITUC district secretary Sd. Sardar.
By suppressing protests through police, the ruling party was trying to create an impression that the people were satisfied with the performance of the Government, said former Ongole Agriculture Market Committee chairman K. Srinivasa Rao. The arrest of Mr. Naidu would cost the ‘‘vindictive’‘ YSRCP ‘‘politically’‘, said Poura Samajam president G. Narasimha Rao.
