YSRCP’s call for President’s rule in Andhra Pradesh a political ploy, says TDP State president Palla Srinivasa Rao

TDP State president Palla Srinivasa Rao has termed the YSRCP’s demand for President’s rule in Andhra Pradesh as a politically motivated ploy to divert public attention from pressing issues.

YSRCP’s alleged attempts to incite violence at the grassroots-level while claiming its leaders to be victims of the alleged breakdown in law and order exposed its double standards, Mr. Srinivasa Rao observed while addressing the media on Sunday.

The TDP leader urged the people to see through the YSRCP’s conspiracies, and said it had been the opposition party’s habit to foment trouble to reap political dividends.

Attempts to escalate tensions for political gain and shift the blame on to the government would not be tolerated, he asserted.

Mr. Srinivasa Rao said the government was taking all steps to ensure that the local body elections were conducted in a democratic, free and impartial manner. Those vitiating the process of elections would face legal consequences, he warned.

Protecting democratic values and ensuring free and fair elections were on top of the government’s agenda, he asserted, calling upon the people to be alert to the machinations of the YSRCP.

‘Politics of violence’

Meanwhile, Ponnur MLA Dhulipalla Narendra Kumar took objection to the YSRCP’s politics of violence, saying that the YSRCP leaders were behaving like rowdies on the streets, while its president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy preached about democratic values.

He expressed regret that while violent clashes erupted at only five places in the State during the filing of nominations for local body polls, the YSRCP was giving a wrong picture that it was a State-wide situation that warranted imposition of President's rule.

Meanwhile, TDP leaders P. Ashok Babu and Varla Ramaiah appealed to the State Election Commissioner to take action against Darsi MLA B. Siva Prasad Reddy and Kadapa MP Y.S. Avinash Reddy for allegedly creating trouble during the filing of nominations.