The Andhra Pradesh police officers’ association on Friday defended the action of the police forces in refusing Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu to enter Visakhapatnam and forcing him to go back into the airport, while condemning the allegations made by Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh.
However, the Andhra Pradesh high court made some strong remarks against the police officials for failing to control the crowds who were on the rampage at the Visakhapatnam airport.
In a statement, the association strongly condemned Naidu’s comments as to whether the police were rearing donkeys. It also found fault with Lokesh for threatening the police saying the TDP would not leave any police official who acted against them.
“The police take decisions according to the situations keeping in view unforeseen developments that surface suddenly, so as to prevent breakdown of law and order. Our duty is to ensure that there is no damage to public and private properties and we take measures within the ambit of law. It is unfortunate that a person who had worked as chief minister for 14 years is not aware of this fundamental truth,” the association said.
The association clarified that the police had tried their best to ensure that there was no harm done to the former chief minister and had formed a shield around him at Visakhapatnam.
“It has become a habit for Chandrababu Naidu and Lokesh to make wild allegations against the police and threaten them. They should withdraw their comments unconditionally,” the association demanded.
But the high court wondered why the police had made preventive arrest of Naidu, rather than dispersing the protestors who had gathered in large numbers and hurled stones, eggs and chappals at the TDP chief.
The court asked the police as to why they had not taken any action against the agitators and why they had failed to prevent them from coming to the airport in such large numbers.
The notice served on Naidu under Section 151 of Criminal Procedure Code was generally done in the case of hardcore criminals, the court pointed out and asked the DGP to file a counter affidavit by March 2.