TDP's Naidu pens letter to Prez Kovind & PM Modi; seeks President's rule in Andhra Pradesh

Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday penned a letter to the President of India Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighting the alleged vandalism by YSR Congress Party workers at the Telugu Desam Party's central office in Andhra Pradesh's Mangalagiri.

In his letter, the TDP President spotlighted the alleged hooliganism sponsored by the ruling YSRCP-led government and their attempts to impede democracy in the state.

"Ever since the YSRCP-led Government came to power in 2019, there has been a concerted effort to thwart democracy by crushing dissent and filing cases against the members of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)," Naidu maintained in his letter.

TDP Chief blames state for drugs consumption, criminal activities

The former Andhra Pradesh CM lamented that the state has become a locus of criminal activities and an epicentre of drugs. "Over the past two years, Andhra Pradesh has turned into a hub for criminal activities and emerged as an epicentre of drugs in general and cannabis in particular," Naidu said, adding that drugs from the state were being smuggled to other states including Gujarat, Telangana, and Karnataka with the help of police.  

Naidu said that being a responsible opposition, the TDP has been regularly raising the issues and had held the state government accountable for its "inactivity" owing to which the ruling party supports allegedly coordinated state-wise attacks against the TDP. "As a responsible opposition, the TDP has consistently raised the issue of drugs in Andhra Pradesh and held the State Government accountable for its inaction. As a result, hatchmen of the ruling YSRCP launched coordinated state-wide attacks against TDP, physically assaulting its members and ransacking its offices across the state, including Rayalaseema and North Andhra," the letter maintained.

"In the latest series of attacks that occurred on 19th October 2021 at around 5:16 PM when the YSRCP hatchmen ransacked the central party office of TDP and assaulted our party men. Never in the history of Indian democracy, did a ruling party hatchmen attack the Central Office of the Principal Opposition party," the TDP President added in his letter.

The DGP responded by saying he is busy: Naidu, on police's role in Oct 19 attack

The former state CM also censured the role of the police during the attack who according to him remained tight-lipped throughout the incident. He claimed that the police failed to respond to the panic calls.

"Around 5:03 PM. I personally called the DGP, but he responded only by saying he is busy. Meanwhile, sensing danger, the staff at the TDP office immediately called Mangalagiri police but in vain. The mob gathered at the nearby CK Convention Hall, adjacent to the DGP's office, as part of their conspiracy to attack the TDP office. However, there was no attempt from the police to prevent the attack," Naidu stated in the letter.

The TDP President Chandrababu Naidu in his letter to the PM and President highlighted the series of attacks on the party by the ruling outfit on October 19 and claimed that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and the Andhra DGP were behind the "pre-mediated and pre-planned attacks".

Naidu added, "State-wide attacks planned against the TDP in a span of a couple of hours are clear indications of pre-mediated and pre-planned attacks jointly orchestrated by the Chief Minister, Chief Minister's Office and the DGP.''

Naidu urges PM Modi's & Prez Kovind's intervention in the matter

Chandrababu Naidu urged the intervention of the President and the Prime Minister in the matter. He appealed for the imposition of the President's rule in the state to restore the law and order situation in the state.

"In this backdrop, I request you to intervene and take necessary steps to impose President's rule under Article 356 to establish law and order and restore functioning of the constitution in Andra Pradesh," Naidu said.

He also requested for a CBI inquiry to "unearth the larger conspiracy behind such concerted attacks."

Image: PTI, ANI