Take action against erring police: Naidu’s letter to Andhra DGP

TDP president and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu urged the AP DGP to shun his silence and start taking action against all those police officials who were hand in glove with the perpetrators of violence in the state.

In a letter sent to the DGP, Naidu said that the recent panchayat elections witnessed unprecedented violence, irregularities, threats, kidnaps, and violations. The TDP chief said that YSRCP-sponsored candidate Lolla Bhadram won as sarpanch in Illapalli in phase-II of gram panchayat elections held on 13 February 2021. Bhadram conducted a victory rally in the village and created a ruckus in front of rival candidate Tanuku Sridhar who observed restraint. Later, the victory rally made a lot of noise in front of TDP leader Kannuri Raghava’s house. Since Raghava’s daughter Suji is a lactating mother with three months old child, Raghava requested them not to blast crackers in front of his house. Enraged at that, they physically attacked Raghava, his son and daughters. On 14 February, YSRCP leaders attacked Dalit families in Tummalapalli on the outskirts of Illapalli.

The TDP chief told the DGP that on 15 February, Anaparthy former MLA Nallamilli Ramakrishna Reddy along with the victims approached the SI at Biccavolu police station who showed utter contempt so they protested. Later, the DSP and CI took the complaints. Naidu said that the SI took counter complaints from the YSRCP and filed false cases against TDP sympathisers and cadre. Based on Raghava›s complaint, a case was filed against six people under the SC, ST (POA) Act.