For the last few days, the Telugu Desam Party leaders have been raising a hue and cry over the scaling down of security cover to their party president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu by the YSR Congress party government headed by Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
On Monday, Naidu moved the state high court stating that the YSRC government had deliberately reduced the security cover to him and his family over the last month and asked the court give directions to the government to restore the security to him.
Naidu’s counsel Subba Rao argued in the court that the government had reduced security to Naidu and his family members on political reasons.
“Naidu has been facing threat to his life from Maoists and also from red sanders smugglers, because of the stringent action he had taken against them during his tenure,” he said.
However, advocate general Subrahmanyam Sriram explained to the court how much security Naidu actually has.
He said Naidu had been provided with more security than what he was entitled to as the leader of opposition.
“While he actually deserves only 58 security personnel, the present government has been giving him security with 74 personnel in different shifts and at different places. This includes national security guards being provided by the Centre, besides bullet proof vehicle and a jammer vehicle,” he said.
The high court directed that the government submit an affidavit on actual security cover being provided to Naidu by July 9.