Jagan warns cops over arrests for abusive posts

Vijayawada: Claiming that the N Chandrababu-led coalition government has failed on all fronts and the state is pushed into a dark age, YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy warned the police to stick to the rule book and don’t buckle under pressure of ruling party.

Speaking to the media at Tadepalli on Thursday, he repeated his allegation that law and order situation has worsened and social media activists are being harassed and picked up without following the due procedure. He said during the last five months, safety of women and minor girls has been badly affected.

Quoting the Supreme Court ruling, the former chief minister said notices first should be given and then magistrate permission should be taken and then armed with a warrant the person should be arrested. But throwing all procedure to wind, the police have been picking of people for questioning, detaining them in policing stations and even arresting family members if the person facing the charges is not available, he said adding that they had given phone numbers for legal aid.

He said police should safeguard the dignity and decorum of their uniform as political power is not permanent and if they continue to do the same, the legal cell of the party will take up the issue and all errant officials will have to face the music, when they come back to power.

“We track down every officer and take action. We will also lodge private complaints against them. Police have been detaining social media activists for questioning the corrupt practices of the government during the recent flood in Vijayawada and other areas of irregularities. What their post said was not new, it was all reported in the media about the irregularities in flood relief and rescue operations in Vijayawada and police have hounded them on the directions of political bosses,” he said.