TDP President N. Chandrababu Naidu. file | Photo credit: The Hindu
Andhra Pradesh High Court advocate Gudapati Lakshminarayanan has written a letter to Home Ministry Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla, asking him to visit former Chief Minister N. A request has been made to order an inquiry into the alleged attack on Chandrababu Naidu’s convoy. 21.
They also complained that the police misused their powers under Section 151 (arrest to prevent commission of cognizable offences) of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.PC) and violated standing orders relating to VVIP security.
Shri Lakshminarayana alleged that the Andhra Pradesh Police was misusing Section 151 of the CrPC to please its political masters and senior officers. The police were using the powers conferred by Section 151 only to disown opposition leaders and suppress any form of democratic dissent.
“The same section was not being used against YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leaders. Instead, the police were instigating, aiding and abetting the attacks of YSRCP leaders on meetings and roadshows organized by opposition parties,” he alleged.
He alleged that during Mr. Naidu’s visit to Yerragondapalem on Friday, the police sided with miscreants and anti-social elements who mingled with YSRCP leaders and cadres. The result was an attack on Mr. Naidu’s convoy. But for the timely action by the National Security Guard (NSG) personnel, Mr Naidu would have been injured in the stone pelting in the presence of the police, he said. However, Santosh Kumar, the commanding officer of the NSG, suffered blood-soaked injuries as he was hit by stones apparently aimed at the TDP president.
Mr. Lakshminarayana alleged that the police had given prior notice to the protesters about Mr. Naidu’s visit and did not stop the miscreants despite knowing their intention to harass them.
As per AP Police Standing Order 325 and 326, it was the duty and responsibility of the local police to provide security to VVIPs, but they failed to discharge their duty properly. Keeping all these in mind, Mr. Bhalla should conduct a thorough inquiry into the incident, appealed Mr. Laxminarayan.