Visakhapatnam police have taken TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu into custody at Visakha airport and forced him to go back. They cited law & order issues for their action. However, TDP said it had taken prior permission from the police for Chandrababu’s tour programme. 

The TDP has produced the permission granted by Vizag Assistant Commissioner of Police, West Zone on an application by MLA Vasupalli Ganesh Kumar of TDP. The letter said that permission is accorded to allow VVIP convoy in connection with Nara Chandrababu Naidu visit to the airport to Ramapuram village via Gopalapuram and Pendurthy Junction.

The last-minute decision of the cops to not to allow the TDP leader to go ahead with his programme appears to have been influenced by the ruling party bigwigs. Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy apparently wanted Chandrababu to face the same fate that he had to undergo in 2018. Jagan at the time was planning to participate in the candle-light programme in Vizag for Special Category Status. As Investment Summit was going on at Vizag, the police decided to send him to Hyderabad back from Vizag Airport.

Now, Jagan appears to be paying back in the same coin. However, as Varla Ramaiah pointed out, in Jagan ‘s case, the TDP activists did not swarm the airport, as YSRC workers did this time around.

Police permission letter.
Police permission letter.