Naidu Arrest: Uphold democracy in Andhra Pradesh, Lokesh urges President Draupadi Murmu

NEW DELHI: TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh has appealed to President Draupadi Murmu to uphold democracy in Andhra Pradesh and stand by the people of the State to ensure that their constitutional rights are protected.

Lokesh, accompanied by party MPs Kesineni Srinivas (Nani), Galla Jayadev and K Rammohan Naidu and TDP leader Kanakamedla Ravindra Kumar met Draupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Tuesday and brought to her notice about the illegal arrest of TDP president and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.

In two separate letters to the President, one signed by Lokesh and the other signed by the party MPs, they told the President that though there was no evidence, Naidu was taken into custody only to sling mud at him. They produced the information available to them and also the evidence to support their arguments. "Your action in this matter will undoubtedly reinforce the faith of the citizens in the democratic institutions of the nation," they said in their letters.

Speaking to media after meeting the President, Lokesh said that they gave detailed information to Draupadi Murmu on the attacks and cases filed against the opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh after the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) came to power in 2019. “Skill Development scam is a fabricated one as there is absolutely no evidence of the involvement of Naidu and no evidence on money trail connecting him or his family members. I am unable to understand why cases are being filed against me in the Amaravati inner ring road, AP fiber grid and AP Skill Development Corporation soon after my announcement to resume Yuvagalam padyatra in the State,” Lokesh said.

The TDP general secretary said that the names of the officers, Premchandra Reddy, then managing director of the APSSDC and Kallam Ajay Reddy, then Finance secretary and chief advisor to the Chief Minister, who were the authorised signatories for the release of funds in this project were surprisingly missing from the FIR. “The State Government has no evidence in the cases filed against Naidu. Even the AP CID is asking for evidence. The YSRCP Government is spewing venom at the opposition parties by registering false cases. I take the responsibility of giving return gifts to them after coming to power,” he said.