TDP national president N. Chandrababu Naidu has expressed concern over “total breakdown of law and order in the State.”
In a letter to Director General of Police Gautam Sawang, the TDP chief demanded that the culprits behind the murder of Pamuri Guru Pratap Reddy, a former CRPF constable, be immediately brought to book.
Mr. Naidu alleged that the 47-year-old whistleblower from Penji Anantapuram village of Kondapur mandal in Jammalamadugu Assembly segment in Kadapa district was targeted for raising his voice against rampant corruption of the ruling YSRCP leaders.
“Pratap Reddy had noticed rampant corruption in the sand reaches and in the distribution of compensation to the Gandikota project displaced families. The government had sanctioned ₹10 lakh compensation to each of the 677 families affected by the project. But the village actually had only 350 families, and the number had been inflated to pocket the remaining money,” Mr. Naidu alleged.
He said that Pratap Reddy had complained about it to the district Collector and the local revenue officials.
On November 13, when Deputy Collector Rohini, along with two tahsildars, conducted a gram sabha to ascertain the facts, Pratap Reddy brought it to the officials’ notice that the list of beneficiaries included 300 ineligible names.
Enraged over the turn of events, the accused and his henchmen tried to disrupt the meeting and later killed Pratap Reddy on the premises of a temple.
Mr. Naidu alleged that people who questioned the ruling party were being tortured and killed. He further alleged that the government was trying to portray it as a faction feud.
“In fact, it was a blatant killing of an upright person who tried to expose the misdeeds of the ruling party leaders,” Mr. Naidu asserted.
The TDP president said there was an urgent need to initiate stringent action against such criminals to restore people’s faith in the rule of law.
