Naidu denied permission to meet Atchannaidu

Former chief minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu was barred from meeting TDP MLA Atchannaidu who was arrested and sent to 14-day remand even as the state government’s political witch-hunt continued for the second day on Saturday.

On Saturday, when the former TDP president went to Guntur hospital to meet Atchannaidu he was asked to take permission from the magistrate. Further, Naidu was told that permission will not be given for the next two months. Citing stringent regulations in the light of coronavirus, the hospital management declined Naidu’s appeal for an audience with Atchannaidu.

Talking to media persons, Naidu said, “The silencing of dissent, and the generating of fear in the minds of people violate the demands of personal liberty. Atchannaidu underwent surgery for piles recently. Hundreds of policemen raided and arrested him as if he was a terrorist. He was made to travel more than 500 kilometers which has further complicated his medical condition. The superintendent of the hospital said Atchannaidu may require another surgery. The surgery region catched infection and started bleeding. Atchannaidu stood by his ideology and values. His family stood with the TDP and worked relentlessly for the welfare of the people. We will not be cowed down by the threats and intimidations of the ruling YSRCP and continue to raise our voice on issues,” Naidu pointed out.

He slammed the Jagan government that Atchannaidu was arrested based on a “cooked-up and fabricated” report by Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) officials in the alleged ESI scam. “Atchannaidu’s name did not even figure in the original Vigilance report as he could not be implicated as per the purchase manual, which cites no role for the minister concerned,” Naidu said.

While Naidu was not permitted to meet Atchannaidu, Denduluru former MLA Chintamaneni Prabhakar was taken into preventive custody when he set out to meet Atchannaidu on Friday and sent to Eluru police station. Initially, the police stated that Chintamaneni will be released after the smooth passage of the large convoy that escorted Atchannaidu. However, till Friday midnight Chintamaneni was kept in the police station. In a tearing hurry, the police booked six cases against Chintamaneni and eight others.

A day after TDP MLA Atchannaidu was arrested and sent to 14-day remand, the Hyderabad police arrested former MLA and TDP leader J C Prabhakar Reddy in an early morning swoop. He will be produced before a court in Anantapur.

Prabhakar Reddy was arrested after the Tadipatri police filed a case against him and three others for allegedly forging documents and selling 18-wheeler trailer lorries. He had allegedly sold BS-III lorries as BS-IV vehicles. The Road Transport Department had seized the vehicles. The vehicles were sold to one Nageswara Reddy who had lodged a complaint with Tadipatri police following which cases were filed under Sections 420, 467, 468, and 471 of the IPC against Prabhakar Reddy.

The crackdown on the Opposition leaders was reminiscent of the Emergency in 1975, when then prime minister Indira Gandhi suspended civil liberties, threw opposition leaders and journalists in prison and gagged the media. Since Jagan stormed to power in 2019, the state government has consistently undermined the constitutional bodies, exhibited defiance to courts and blatantly violated human rights by persecuting and harassing independent voices. All this corroded Indian democracy. Political observers attributed this to the quiescence of the middle class and the failure of the central government in restoring order in Andhra Pradesh which is facing an impending constitutional crisis. Political observers pointed out that the state governments are not sovereign entities at par with the Centre. When it comes to the crunch, it’s the Central government’s will that should prevail.