The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) is seething over with the ‘needless and unannounced’ arrest of its former MLC Batyala Changalrayudu, who is also the party in-charge for Rajampet Assembly constituency.
Mr. Changalrayudu, who has been mobilising support for Rajampet to be declared as the headquarters of the proposed Annamayya district instead of Rayachoti as announced by the State government, was arrested when he was travelling on a two-wheeler in the adjoining Railway Kodur constituency on Saturday.
Addressing reporters on Sunday, TDP Polit Buro member R. Sreenivasa Reddy called it an act of high-handedness and said such police excesses would not be tolerated.
“Police are acting as henchmen of the ruling party and are targeting opposition leaders, which is against the spirit fo the Constitution. By muzzling our voice, arresting our leaders and foisting false cases, the department is bending over backwards to please the ruling party leaders,” he said. He announced that the issue would be raised with the Governor.
However, police officers reiterate that they acted by the book. They accused Mr. Changalrayudu of making abusive comments against the police. Police Association honorary president Chandrasekhar Reddy told reporters that the ex-MLA had made objectionable comments against the department who had gone to take him into preventive custody.
