Chandrababu Naidu under house arrest ahead of ‘Chalo Atmakur’ rally

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief Chandrababu Naidu, son Nara Lokesh and other TDP leaders, in Palnadu region, were put under house-arrest on Wednesday by Andhra Pradesh Police. Police personnel were deployed, around TDP leaders’ houses, to stop them from leaving for the ‘Chalo Atmakur’ protest rally. Stopped, when he was departing for the rally, Former CM Naidu has decided to go on a 12 hour fast which started at 8 am and will last till 8 pm.

AP Police had, on Tuesday, enforced Section 144 (Prohibition on assembly of more than four persons in an area) of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and Section 30 of Police Act (Regulation of public assemblies & processions). Director General of Police (DGP), Gautam Sawang (IPS) reportedly said that since these sections were in place in Palnadu region, there was no permission to organise any rallies or protests.

The ‘Chalo Atmakur’ rally is over the alleged attacks on TDP cadre by the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on various occasions. TDP claims that eight of their party workers have been killed in these alleged attacks. The party also says that close to five hundred TDP activists, and sympathisers, have been attacked since the announcement of state election results in May 2019. Chandrababu Naidu, prior to the house arrest, had said that the rally was supposed to stand in solidarity with the victims at the YCP’s Rehabilitation Centre and not to cause any agitation.

Earlier on Tuesday, YSRCP had called a counter-protest march of its own in response to TDP’s rally.