india

Updated: Sep 10, 2019 13:35 IST

Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu has launched an aggressive campaign to protect his party’s cadres against what he has alleged ruling YSR Congress Party’s reign of terror against the TDP’s workers and sympathisers and hounding them out of the rural areas of Andhra Pradesh.

In a first of its kind attempt, Naidu established a “rehabilitation centre” at the party headquarters in Guntur district last week for the victims of the alleged attacks by YSRCP activists across the state, particularly in the Palnadu region.

A large number of TDP workers from Palnadu have been thronging the TDP’s office for the last few days alleging that they had to flee their villages due to attacks by the YSRC’s activists. The TDP has been arranging food and shelter for the “victims” at its office for the last four days.

In an interaction with his party workers on Sunday, Naidu gave a “Chalo Palnadu” call to the TDP’s leaders and cadre, asking them to take out a rally from the party’s office in Guntur to Atmakur village in Palnadu region on Wednesday.

Naidu said the party would arrange special buses for the victims of the alleged YSRC violence to go back to their native places. A large number of party workers and leaders would participate in the rally in a show of strength and also to protest the attacks on TDP activists. He would address a public meeting in Atmakur to highlight the highhandedness of the ruling YSRC.

The former chief minister also assured victims of the YSRC attacks that they will be given legal assistance. A meeting of the TDP’s legal cell would be held in Guntur on Tuesday to discuss the measures to fight a legal battle on behalf of the party workers in Palnadu region.

Stating that he would be the first person to face the cases if filed by the police as part of the agitation. “Let the police book a case against me, if they have guts,” he said, adding that the party would also approach the Human Rights Commission to protect the interests of its cadre.

Reacting to Naidu’s call to his workers, Andhra Pradesh home minister Mekathoti Sucharitha told reporters on Monday the government would not allow any attempt by the TDP leaders to disturb peace and tranquillity in the state.

“Naidu does not want the state to remain peaceful. During his regime between 2014 and 2018, there was a complete breakdown of law and order in the state. Those who had questioned illegal mining by the TDP’s leaders were tortured and thrown behind bars in false cases. There was large scale violation of human rights in Gurajala area of Palnadu region during the Naidu rule,” she alleged.

The home minister said chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had given clear instructions to the police to maintain law and order in the state.

“If there are any grievances from any section of people, they can give representations in the offices of superintendent of police in Guntur. The TDP leaders are trying to create troubles by engaging paid artistes,” she said.

Director general of police Gautam Sawang said prohibitory orders under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC) had been promulgated in Palnadu region to avoid law and order breakdown. He appealed to the people not to take part in any activity that would disturb peace in the area.