Non-bailable cases against Kuppam TDP men; Naidu calls stampedes a police conspiracy

KUPPAM: The Kuppam police on Thursday registered non-bailable cases against several activists of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in connection with Wednesday’s incidents here during Chandrababu Naidu’s visit. At least 50 persons have been charged with various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

At least three First Information Reports (FIRs) were filed at the Rallabuduguru Police Station of Kuppam and the TDP leaders and activists were charged under various sections for offences ranging from attempt to murder to violence. Prominent among the non-bailable sections were 307 and 353.

It is learnt that at least 50 leaders and activists of the TDP have been booked in these cases.

Stampedes were part of police conspiracy: Chandrababu

TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu, who continued with his tour of Kuppam despite restrictions on Thursday, strongly condemned the police cases registered against his party activists. He claimed that YS Jaganmohan Reddy was trying to obstruct him from touring his constituency with false cases, out of fear of defeat.

Protesting against the police seizing his campaign vehicle ‘Chaitanya Ratham’, the TDP chief conducted a foot march from the R&B Guest House, where he stayed overnight, to the M M marriage function hall in Kuppam. He later presided over a training session of party activists held at the function hall.

Earlier, speaking to a section of media, Chandrababu Naidu made a sensational claim that the tragic stampede incidents at Kandukur and Guntur were part of a police conspiracy, designed to stop him from touring various parts of the state.

He also questioned why the policemen were deployed in fewer numbers at his meetings in both Kandukur and Guntur while they could have more than a 1,000 police personnel on the ground in Santipuram of Kuppam on Wednesday.

Dissatisfaction growing in YSRCP against Jagan rule

Chandrababu Naidu said that dissatisfaction against the Jaganmohan Reddy Government was growing rapidly in the ruling YSRCP, particularly among its MLAs.

Chandrababu Naidu was the chief guest for the training programme for the TDP activists. Later, chairing the party's review programme and for voter enrollment, he said that the YSRCP MLAs were coming out openly expressing their discontent over the State Government.

''On the other hand, the TDP public meetings are receiving tremendous response. This is the reason why frustration is growing in Chief Minister Jaganmohan Reddy,'' Chandrababu stated.

This is the primary reason as to why Jagan is creating problems for the TDP with the help of the police and is foisting false cases against the party leaders, the TDP supremo said. He asked as to why the Acts that are not applicable to the YSRCP leaders are being invoked against the TDP leaders.

Observing that it has become a habit for Jagan to file cases against the TDP leaders, Chandrababu Naidu told the party activists to face them boldly. He suspected that a conspiracy was being hatched to intimidate the TDP activists in Kuppam and gave a call to the party leaders to stand by the cadre who fought against the Chief Minister.