The government misused the police to stop TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu at the Visakhapatnam airport after granting permission to his tour, alleged TDP leaders at a media conference here on Friday.
Senior TDP leader Bandaru Satyanarayana Murthy alleged that DGP Gautam Sawang was acting like a member of the YSRCP.
He further alleged that the government misused Section 151 of the Cr.PC to target the opposition leader. Similarly, the cars of MLAs Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar and Velagapudi Ramakrishna Babu were attacked, he alleged.
Though many persons in the crowd were drunk and heaped abuse on the former Chief Minister, the police, instead of controlling them, remained mute spectators, Mr. Murthy alleged.
Referring to the statements of YSRCP leaders that Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy was not allowed to move out of the airport in 2017, when he, as Leader of the Opposition, had come to participate in an all-party protest on the Beach Road here, the TDP leaders said the two incidents could not be compared.
Mr. Reddy’s participation in the protest would have resulted in the city getting a negative image as Partnership Summit was then being held opposite the Beach Road, they said.
On the contrary, Mr. Naidu had come to the city after getting prior permission to hold a meeting at Pendurthi, they added.
Mr. Ganesh Kumar claimed that “miscreants from Pulivendula” were hired for the protest and that he had proof of the same.
He alleged that the government was trying to grab lands in the city in the name of Executive capital.
Party leader Sri Bharat took exception to the police “remaining silent spectators” when the YSRCP activists allegedly threw water bottles and eggs at Mr. Naidu’s car despite he being an NSG protectee and given ‘Z’ category security.
Telugu Mahila president V. Anita and former MLAs Palla Srinivas and Peela Govind Satyanarayana were present.
