Amaravati: Naidu warns against harassment of BCs by the govt

Amaravati: TDP national president N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday warned of serious consequences if the ruling YSRCP leaders continued to target and harass the Backward Classes (BC) leaders as part of their political suppression.

He repeated his allegation that false cases were foisted on K Atchannaidu and he was arrested. Naidu spoke to Atchannaidu on the phone after he was released on bail on Tuesday.

Addressing a teleconference with party leaders here, Chandrababu Naidu said that the ministers and ruling party MLAs were resorting to arm twisting tactics by causing illegal detentions of the rival candidates and their supporters.

The police force was acting in favour of the YSRCP-supported candidates in the home minister's Assembly constituency, he said.

The TDP chief decried the arrest of Garikapadu sarpanch candidate's husband Sunil Kumar and mandal TDP president in the Guntur district. Demanding that the arrested TDP leaders should be immediately released to ensure a free and fair election, he said authorities should take stringent action against the errant police officials.

He enquired from the party leaders from different parts of the state about the progress of the polling in the first phase panchayat elections. Naidu said that the State Election Commission should take action against the officials who did not publish the final lists of contesting candidates in the panchayat polls in the Tamballapalli Assembly segment.

He alleged that violations were made by MPDO Diwakar Reddy, SI Saha Devi, MLA relative Bhanu and his PA Hemanth Kumar. Additional police forces should be deployed in Tamballapalli for ensuring a peaceful election.