Chandrababu Naidu plays religion card, fumes at DGP for Kala's custody, foiling TDP yatra

VIJAYAWADA: Reiterating that Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is a Christian and forceful religious conversions are going on in the State, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu has said this is what happens when the Chief Minister, Home Minister and Director General of Police (DGP) are from the same religion. 

“A conspiracy is being hatched in the State for petty vote bank politics,’’ Naidu alleged and blamed the Chief Minister, the DGP and YSRC leaders for the “religious disharmony prevails in the  State”. 

“I am asking you (Jagan) directly. Do you all (join hands) to hatch a conspiracy? You cannot act as per your whims and fancies when in public life. If you are in your house, that is okay,’’ he said, while addressing a press conference at the TDP office in Mangalagiri on Thursday.

Asserting that the TDP is a secular party, he sought to know whether the government thinks that the TDP should not question when Lord Rama’s idol was beheaded, temples were attacked and idols were destroyed. 

“Yesterday too, the Chief Minister instigated some Christian associations, who demanded an apology from me,’’ he alleged.

Demanding the whereabouts of controversial pastor Praveen Chakravarthy, Naidu sought to know whether he was in the residence of the DGP or the Chief Minister. 

“Who is behind him? Whose relatives are protecting  him? Why is he having a bank account in Kadapa? Why are you enquiring him secretly?’’ he questioned. 

Taking strong exception to the alleged  arrest of senior TDP leader K Kala Venkata Rao and denying permission for TDP’s ‘Dharma Parirakshana Yatra’ in Tirupati, Naidu launched a blistering attack on the DGP. 

​Naidu went harsh on the DGP saying that it is better for him to resign if he could not discharge his responsibilities properly by succumbing to the pressure from the Chief Minister.  

“I know Sawang well and he was a good police officer. But now he is acting in an indifferent manner, ignoring the maintenance of law and order,” he claimed. 

Stating that it was high time for the DGP to follow the Indian Penal Code, not  ‘Jagan Penal Code’, he said Sawang should at least respect his uniform. Otherwise, he should quit, he demanded.