TDP Polit Bureau member and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Yanamala Ramakrishnudu on Saturday condemned the house arrests of his party leaders and called the act illegal, anti-democratic and anti-Constitution.
Many TDP leaders were put under house arrest to prevent their participation in the Jail Bharo protest programme in Guntur, called by the Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi JAC as part of a three-day protest against the arrest and handcuffing of the Dalit farmers by the police.
In a statement, Mr. Ramakrishnudu said it was unfortunate that protests that were being staged in a peaceful manner were being obstructed. He wondered if the rule of law existed in the State and said it seemed like the ruling party had unleashed “a special Jagan rule of law”.
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He spoke strongly against “brutal repression which is robbing people of their fundamental rights.” Permissions to hold protests were being denied and voices of people who wanted to speak up were being gagged, he alleged.
People should condemn in strong terms the acts of oppression and suppression of the YSRCP government, he said.
Varla calls it ‘police raj’ADVERTISEMENT
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The party’s another Polit Bureau member Varla Ramaiah, speaking to the media, came down heavily on the Jagan Mohan Reddy government and said that people were at the receiving end of the ‘police raj”.
Questioning the right of the police department to detain and confine the TDP leaders to their homes, he said this was against their right to freedom of expression.
Referring to the suspension of six police constables for handcuffing Dalit farmers, he said the government had found easy scapegoats in the lower cadre of the police department to protect the top officials at whose behest the handcuffing and the arrest orders were carried out.
He accused the Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy of unleashing an “autocratic rule” in the State and warned that if he wanted to continue in power, he should recognise the need to shun autocracy and embrace democracy.