The West Godavari police on September 6 (Wednesday) issued a notice to Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary N. Lokesh for “making provocative speech and violating the permission given for his Yuva Galam padayatra.”
“A notice has also been served on Bhimavaram TDP in-charge Sitarama Lakshmi on the same charges,” West Godavari Superintendent of Police U. Ravi Prakash told The Hindu.
Mr. Lokesh initially refused to accept the notice issued to him at the Bethapudi camp area.
The TDP leader said that he could not prevent his supporters from joining the padayatra. The deployment of more vehicles in the padayatra was one of the violations cited by the police in the notice.
On September 5, at least four police personnel on padayatra duty were injured in violence and stone-pelting that was witnessed at Taderu in the Bhimavaram Assembly segment.
Mr. Ravi Prakash said that as many as 39 persons involved in the incident were arrested. “The four injured police personnel are out of danger and are recovering,” he added.
Attack pre-planned: Lokesh
Meanwhile, in a release, Mr. Lokesh alleged that the attack on the party cadres allegedly by the YSRCP activists during the padayatra in the Bhimavaram Assembly segment was pre-planned.
“Trouble broke out after a YSRCP supporter parked his two-wheeler in front of our vehicles, leading to tension. It was a deliberate attempt and a plan hatched by the YSRCP,” he alleged.
“I have walked 3,600 km so far during the padayatra. We have never disobeyed the guidelines. In Bhimavaram, there was tension during the Varahi yatra by JSP chief Pawan Kalyan, and it repeated again now,” Mr. Lokesh said.
Mr. Lokesh further said that he had alerted the West Godavari police on the possible disturbance during the padayatra in Bhimavaram.
“On September 4, we suspected some tension and alerted the police. However, the police could not prevent it,” he said.
