Somireddy alleges govt bid to stop Lokesh yatra

Nellore: TDP politburo member and senior leader Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy said these are not the days of Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy's grandfather to stop Nara Lokesh's Yuva Galam padayatra. However, he said, the state government would leave no stone unturned to foil the yatra.

Speaking at a programme organised on the occasion of Lokesh's birthday here on Monday, he said the 4,000-km, 400 days Yuva Galam yatra is being undertaken by Lokesh in the backdrop of 'emergency' situation prevailing in the state under YSRCP rule.

Chandramohan Reddy criticized that it is outrageous that a state DGP had sought full details of the yatra in advance. "Had the TDP government which was in power then asked such details or made any attempts to stop YS Rajasekhar Reddy in 2004 and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy in 2017?," he said.

In the past, he said, when N Chandrababu Naidu undertook a padayatra, the then Congress government did not ask anything. Yatras of Dr Rajasekhar Reddy and Jagan Mohan Reddy were political and now Lokesh's Yuva Galam padayatra is also being undertaken to save the state and democracy.

Corruption, irregularities and anarchy is rampant in the state and false cases have been filed against opposition leaders everywhere and they were being sent to jail, he alleged and claimed that the people of the state were already showing interest in the padayatra.

Nellore city TDP president Dharmavaram Subbarao conducted special pujas on the occasion of Lokesh's birthday and wishing success of his yatra. Special pujas were performed at Sri Vasavi Kanyaka Parameswari temple located in Stone House Pet area in Nellore city and party leaders and TDP women's wing members were present at the event.