After ban on rallies, Nara Lokesh padayatra the flashpoint between Jagan govt and TDP

But, the DGP’s response to Ramaiah, in a letter dated January 21, seems to have riled up the TDP leadership. The DGP sought information about the “date-wise schedule with respect to time, place in each district; a detailed route map through the districts; the number of persons participating in the proposed padayatra with their details; composition of the entourage with details of the vehicle type, their numbers, number plate and others; places of night halt; and district wise local contact number”.

Criticising the police chief, Ramaiah said, “The DGP has raised several unwanted and undesirable queries regarding Lokesh’s padayatra. The entire schedule and route map cannot be given at once because it can change. The padayatra may be delayed if people want to interact … On public demand, the route may change.”

The Opposition leader added, “We have said that the local police will be informed of the route and schedule in time to make arrangements, but the DGP wants the full schedule. How can we give the exact number of vehicles in the convoy when so many people may join on the way? This is being done so that permission for the padayatra can be denied with this excuse.”

Saying that “this is not for the first time in the history of the nation that a leader is undertaking a padayatra”, Ramaiah said, “The late N T Rama Rao and Y S Rajasekhara Reddy (former Andhra Pradesh CMs), N Chandrababu Naidu, and those who fought for Independence like Mahatma Gandhi also went on a padayatra.”

Accusing the state government of “trying to intimidate the TDP and scuttle the padayatra by refusing permission”, TDP state president K Atchen Naidu said that “the leaders of the Opposition parties are being subjected to various kinds of harassment and are not given permission to organise even peaceful programmes”.

Referring to the TDP’s request for security arrangements, DGP Reddy said “the police would be in a better position to provide proper security and make arrangements for public safety during the padayatra if all the details are provided”.

In his letter responding to the DGP, Ramaiah cited the ongoing Bharat Jodo Yatra by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and the padayatra undertaken by Y S Sharmila, Jagan Mohan Reddy’s sister, as examples. Ramaiah said, “I have again requested the DGP to take measures to provide proper security for the Yuva Galam to be undertaken by Lokesh. The detailed schedule of the padayatra will be provided to the local sub-divisional police officers (SDPOs) ahead of the schedule to enable the local police to provide necessary security arrangements.”

He wrote in the letter, “In a democracy, it is quite natural that the political parties meet the public through various means to move closer to the people and address their grievances. The padayatra is only one such mechanism. The number of people taking part in the padayatra depends on the local issues and the local police must estimate and assess how many people will be taking part in the programme.”

He also clarified that the detailed schedule, including the night halts at various places, would be intimated to the local police. He also mentioned the details of vehicles that would accompany Lokesh as part of his convoy during the yatra.

“Freedom of speech and freedom to assemble peacefully are guaranteed under the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution,” Lokesh said, adding that he “would go ahead with the padayatra irrespective of whether police gives permission or not”.

Ramaiah said that through the padayatra Lokesh intends to bring awareness among the public on issues such as the lack of jobs and poor welfare and development of the state.

The padayatra is expected to start from Kuppam in Chittoor district and go up to Itchapuram in Srikakulam district. It will cover 125 Assembly segments, Ramaiah said.

On January 3, after 11 people were killed in stampedes at two separate TDP programmes addressed by Chandrababu Naidu, the Andhra Pradesh government issued an order under the provisions of the Police Act, 1861, to prohibit political parties from holding public meetings and rallies on roads, including national highways. The government cited one of the incidents in its order.

The TDP and the Jana Sena Party headed by actor Pawan Kalyan have opposed the order and accused the government of trying to curtail public meetings.