SEC directs DGP to house arrest Minister till completion of panchayat elections

Amaravati: State Election Commissioner N Ramesh Kumar directed the Director General of Police to confine Minister for Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Peddireddi Ramachandra Reddy to his residential premises till the completion of elections to gram panchayats, which will conclude by February 21.

The State Election Commissioner said that during this period the minister should not have access to media with a view to prevent possible inciteful utterances that will have an adverse impact on the ongoing elections.

The SEC said that the restrictions imposed are entirely preventive in nature. However the measures will not prevent the minister for accessing medical and other exigencies warranting to travel. He said the order does not prevent the minister from disposing of officials papers and the minister can have access to all official records.

The State Election Commissioner in his order stated that the restrictions were imposed on the minister following the adverse remarks of minister.

The SEC quoted the remarks of the minister which include: `The collectors and returning officers in the state are warned not to obey the instructions of the madcap Election Commissioner. If they follow the commissioner's instructions, action will be taken against them and they will be blacklisted. The commissioner will be there till March, 2021 end but our Govt will continue beyond and we will take you to task. The Returning officers are to disregard the commissioner's directions and declare all unanimous elections. The commissioner is doing the things to gain MP/MLC seat from TDP.

The SEC said innumerable complaints are being received from political formations and citizens. He said the adverse remarks of the minister amounts to not only interfere with the election process, violating the provisions of the Constitution of India and more particularly threatening the constitutional independence of the state election commission and also tantamount to subversion of democratic election process to the local bodies underway.