TDP Leaders Stage Protests Across Andhra Pradesh After Chandrababu Naidu’s Arrest

Visakhapatnam: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders and workers staged a protest following the arrest of party supremo and former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu, in connection with an alleged corruption case in Visakhapatnam on Saturday. The party leaders and workers assembled at the Peddagadili BRTS road and raised slogans against the Jagan Mohan Reddy government in the state.

However, police reached the spot and detained them. The TDP leaders were later shifted to the Arilova Police Station. Protests were also held at the Annapurna Sarukulu Centre in Tirupati. The State Police also detained several party leaders including Naidu’s son Nara Lokesh in East Godavari district as a preventive action to maintain the law and order situation in the state.

Former HRD minister and MLA Ganta Srinivaasarao was also detained as a preventive action. He said that arresting Chandrababu was a ‘heinous act’.

“Chandrababu played a key role in national politics. Jagan Mohan Reddy arrested Chandrababu only for pleasure. People will teach an appropriate lesson to the CM. My name was also added to the skill development case for the first time. We are ready for any inquiry,” Srinivaasarao said.

After the arrest of the former CM, protests were held across the state following which commuters face inconvenience as buses from Tamil Nadu to Andhra Pradesh are being stopped at the state border. The former chief minister was arrested by the CID around 6 a.m. from R K Function Hall at Gnanapuram in Nandyala town.

A First Information Report (FIR) in the case was lodged in 2021. As police arrived early this morning to arrest the TDP Chief, they faced resistance from TDP cadres. A minor scuffle also broke out between officials and Naidu’s supporters during his arrest. Naidu has been named as accused number 1 in the case, which involves over Rs 250 crore.

However, Naidu said that the CID made the arrest without any proper information and that they refused to show him evidence. Talking to media persons ahead of police taking him into custody, Naidu said, I did not commit any malpractice or corruption.  CID arrested me without any proper information and I asked them to show the evidence but they refused to show and attached my name to the FIR without my role.”