Police restrictions to foil Oppn stir draw criticism

Visakhapatnam: People experienced more difficulties due to the restrictions imposed by the police to stop peaceful protests carried out by the Opposition parties, said TDP Visakhapatnam parliamentary committee president Palla Srinivasa Rao.

Speaking to the media here on Saturday, he said the police were troubling people all through the day to foil the TDP protest on Friday scheduled at Rushikonda.

The former MLA said it was not appropriate to pour cold water on the movement of the people scheduled from Jodugullapalem to Rushikonda and Thimmapuram to Rushikonda. He expressed concern over deploying of 2,500 police personnel to stop the protesters, place them under house arrest and divert the traffic near entry points of Rushikonda.

Following the traffic restrictions, the former MLA alleged, a number of motorists, office goers and students faced inconvenience and not because of the protest intended to save Rushikonda by the TDP.

The Visakhapatnam parliamentary committee president demanded that the secret behind the Rushikonda project be revealed and made public. He said, "Whether the YSRCP government is constructing CM's camp office or tourism project?"

Further, Srinivasa Rao questioned when the Opposition has lost its right to protest in Visakhapatnam in a democratic manner, what is the point of making the city an executive capital. He wanted to know whether there is any law to make Visakhapatnam the executive capital and how constructions can start without clearing legal issues.

Speaking on the occasion, TDP state general secretary Md Nazir alleged the police have become puppets in the hands of the YSRCP.

State secretary L Krishna opined that there would be no use of playing 'three capitals drama' after the withdrawal of the three capital bills in the High Court.

TDP leaders Alla Srinivas Rao, V Tathaji, P Kumar, N Shankar Rao and K Suresh participated in the conference.