Vijayawada, September 24: Nara Lokesh, the general secretary of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), has raised serious concerns about the state of democracy in Andhra Pradesh, alleging that it is being systematically dismantled.
Lokesh criticized the state government for deploying a substantial police force along the state border to halt a rally of IT professionals traveling from Hyderabad to Rajahmundry in support of TDP leader and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
In a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), Lokesh stated, “The deployment of a large police force to halt a car rally and the intrusion into the WhatsApp messenger app on the phones of everyday citizens raise significant concerns. Even in the most critical situations, an innocent individual’s privacy should not be violated.”
He further remarked, “The situation in Andhra Pradesh is eroding democratic principles, akin to oppressive regimes like North Korea. Democracy is being demolished brick by brick.”
Lokesh is the son of Chandrababu Naidu, the TDP supremo.
Meanwhile, Lokesh’s wife, Nara Brahmani, also took to X to express her concerns about the encroachment on fundamental rights and human rights in Andhra Pradesh. She found it shocking that Andhra Pradesh police were obstructing a peaceful car rally of hardworking IT professionals traveling from Hyderabad to Rajahmundry to express their support for Chandrababu Naidu. She thanked the tech professionals for their participation.
In another development, leaders from the Jana Sena Party (JSP), led by actor-politician Pawan Kalyan, visited Brahmani in Rajahmundry to show their solidarity. They discussed the current political situation in the state.
Leaders from both parties discussed plans for joint protest programs against the arrest of the former chief minister.
Meanwhile, Nagababu, a JSP leader and Pawan Kalyan’s brother, expressed the party’s distress over Naidu’s arrest in Tirupati. He welcomed the decision to form an electoral alliance with the TDP and expressed hope that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would also join hands with them.
Nagababu made it clear that he would confront anyone who referred to Pawan Kalyan as a “package star.”
Leaders from the ruling YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) often criticize Pawan Kalyan for his association with the TDP and label him a “package star.”