Since Tuesday morning, Telugu Desam Party leaders have been crying foul over the arrest of a 66-year old woman by the Guntur police for posting alleged objectionable comments against YSR Congress government in connection with the LG Polymers plant gas leakage incident on May 7.
The CID authorities arrested Poonthota Ranganayaki under Section 41-A of the Criminal Procedure Code and registered criminal cases against her under various sections of the IPC. She was later released on bail.
The police said if she was proved guilty, she could face three years’ imprisonment and a fine of Rs 5 lakh as first offence.
The police had charged her with indulging in false propaganda against the Jagan government with regard to a sensitive issue like gas leak from LG Polymers, thereby creating panic among the people and provoking mistrust against the government.
While the arrest of Ranganayaki may not be justified by the police because she had not made any personal allegations against anybody, including the chief minister but only expressed her doubts over the gas leakage incident, the way the TDP leaders have jumped to her defence and started attacking the government surprised everybody.
TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu virtually launched a campaign in the social media with a hashtag #SupportRanganayakiMadam.
“Power is blinding the CM and his ability to take criticism. One day fate will turn its back and all this arrogance will come crashing down,” he tweeted.
TDP leader Devineni Umamaheshwara Rao said if posting a comment against the government was a crime, one wonders how many cases should have been filed against YSR Congress leaders for posting objectionable comments against the previous TDP government.
But the TDP leaders appeared to have forgotten the fact that several YSRC social media activists were intimidated and arrested during the Naidu regime for criticising the then TDP government.
“At least in the present case, the police have done it openly. But during the Naidu regime, several YSRC workers were arrested and beaten up in the police station without even filing cases,” a YSRC leader alleged.