Telugu Desam Party Leader Moves Privilege Motion Against Andhra Police

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) MP Jayadev Galla has moved a privilege motion against a number of Andhra Pradesh police officials, including the Director General of Police (DGP), for allegedly manhandling him during the three capital agitation last month.

In a letter to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, dated February 3, Mr Galla sought action against Andhra Pradesh DGP Gautam Sawang, Superintendent of Police (Guntur Rural) Vijaya Rao and Narasaraopeta One Town SHO Inspector Bilaluddin.

Mr Galla claimed that the police physically harassed him while he was participating in the ''Chalo Assembly'' programme while protesting against the three-capital plan proposed by Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy''s government. The MP said the police action against him tantamounts to breach of privilege.

"The action of police against a Member of Parliament who is a constitutional functionary and preventing, obstructing, beating and injuring him when he is marching peacefully tantamount to breach of privilege and slapping Sections 143, 188, 353, 324, 332 read with 149 IPC clearly indicate the criminal intention of the government and its machinery," the MP from Guntur wrote in his letter to the Speaker.

Requesting the Speaker to take suitable action, Mr Galla said, "Please find out the reason for such an act and take suitable administrative and departmental action so that such things do not recur against anybody in the future."

Outlining the three capital issue, the MP said, "It is the bone of contention because more than 29,000 farmers gave up about 33,000 acres of farmland on which they have been surviving for decades thinking that if the capital comes their living conditions would improve and there would be a better future for their children and the state."

"Farmers who gave up their own cultivable lands have been protesting for the last more than 45 days opposing the decision to split the capital because the concept of three capitals is bizarre and robs Amaravati of its development," he added.

Meanwhile, Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Mekathoti Sucharitha on Wednesday slammed Mr Galla for moving the privilege motion in Lok Sabha.

Ms Sucharitha while slamming the TDP MP has claimed that the latter called for "Jail Bharo" (fill the prisons) despite the imposition of Section 144. She also claimed that Mr Galla also provoked farmers and the police during the agitation a few weeks ago.

The State Assembly has passed the ''Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill 2020''. The Bill proposes to have a legislative capital at Amaravati, executive capital and Raj Bhavan at Visakhapatnam and judicial capital at Kurnool.