Kurnool: TDP activists stage dharna with black badges

Kurnool: TDP Kurnool Parliamentary president Somishetty Venkateswarlu came down heavily on the police for detaining party supremo N Chandrababu Naidu at Renigunta airport, who is slated to stage dharnas in Chittoor and Tirupati on Monday protesting forcible withdrawals and intimidation of TDP candidates.

Condemning the incident, Venkateswarlu along with other party leaders and activists staged a protest with black badges at the office premises on Monday.

Speaking on the occasion, Venkateswarlu said that democracy was at stake in the state with ruling party resorting to forcible withdrawal of candidates through intimidation.

In the recent gram panchayat elections also, he alleged the government misused its powers and announced its party candidates as sarpanches unanimously by setting the TDP winners aside.

Even at the municipal elections, the TDP contestants are being threatened, alleged Venkateswarlu. He took serious note on ruling party supporters destroying the hotel of a TD contestant at Tirupati.

On learning about the incident, he said Chandrababu was on his way to Tirupati to express his solidarity to the TD contestant. But he was detained at the Renigunta airport in the name of Covid norms and was served notices through the policemen, which is against the democratic spirit.

When the ruling party violating all Covid norms by conducting rallies and meetings, he asked how they can apply to opposition TDP.

Fearing of Chandrababu Naidu's phobia, he said the YSRC leaders Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy, Peddireddy Ramachandrareddy and Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy opposing his entry into Tirupati and Chittoor.

Earlier also, he said Naidu was denied permission to visit Ramatheertham and detained in Vizag airport and now at Renigunta airport. He said Naidu has never violated election code nor Covid norms.

TD leaders Y Nageshwara Rao Yadav, K Nandyala Nagendra Kumar, K Parvathamma, K Krishna Veni, D James, Ramanjaneyulu, Bazaranna, Praveen, Suneel, Perupogu Raju, Shantha Raju, Hanumantha Rao Choudhary, Raju Yadav and others participated.