BJP leaders denounce ‘police raj’ in State

Taking exception to the spate of attacks on Hindu places of worship and the handling of its workers with an iron fist by the police, the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP) leaders wondered if the government is unleashing ‘police raj’ on the public.

With several party leaders confined to house arrest, the party leaders staged a peaceful demonstration at the residence of State spokesperson G. Bhanuprakash Reddy on Friday. Speaking on the occasion, he called it unfortunate that the State had slipped into the hands of the police department.

“This is an authoritarian regime, as the government is bent on arresting all those questioning it, instead of taking cognisance of the issue in question and arresting the culprits,” he said. He demanded that the Endowments Minister own up to moral responsibility for the series of incidents and tender his resignation.

In Kadapa, the police arrested State executive member K.V. Chalama Reddy, Vishwa Hindu Parishad(VHP) leader K. Lakshminarayana Reddy, BJP district general secretary P. Sambasiva Reddy, treasurer M. Satish, city general secretary G.S.T. Lakshmana Rao, spokesperson Bandi Prabhakar, OBC Morcha member Y. Mahesh and leaders K. Srinivasulu Reddy and P. Yerukalappa on Thursday evening, as they were planning to participate in ‘Chalo Antarvedi’ programme. They were all taken into custody.