AP govt prohibits rallies on roads, opposition calls it atrocious

Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government issued an order late on Monday night prohibiting conduct of public meetings and rallies on roads, including National Highways, citing public safety but all opposition parties vociferously decried the move, alleging it was aimed at muzzling their voices.

The ban order comes in the wake of a stampede at a rally held by the main opposition Telugu Desam Party at Kandukuru last week in which eight persons were killed.

Only the BJP MP G V L Narasimha Rao supported the government decision, though with a rider.

The prohibitory order (GO No. 1) was issued under the provisions of the Police Act, 1861, and the police immediately started implementing it.

Meanwhile, the Telugu Desam Party chief is scheduled to undertake a tour of his Kuppam Assembly constituency from January 4 to 6 but the Palamaner Sub-Divisional Police Office served a notice on the former saying strict action would be taken if any meetings were held in violation of the GO No. 1 and untoward incidents occurred.

The SDPO said they would consider granting permission for Naidu's meetings if suitable places that did not cause any inconvenience to the public were identified.

The GO No. 1 said, "The right to conduct a public meeting on public roads and streets is a subject matter of regulation as Section 30 of the Police Act, 1861 itself mandates." Principal Secretary (Home) Harish Kumar Gupta, in the GO, asked the respective district administration and police machinery to identify "designated places away from public roads for conduct of public meetings, which do not hamper the flow of traffic, public movement, emergency services, movement of essential commodities, etc." "The authorities should avoid permitting meetings of public roads. Only in rare and exceptional circumstances permission for public meetings may be considered, with reasons recorded in writing," the Principal Secretary said.

The Principal Secretary highlighted the Kandukuru incident that occurred on December 28 and noted that "holding of meetings on public roads and road margins is leading to deaths and creating traffic obstructions." Police take a long time to control the situation, he added.

The opposition parties have decried the government’s decision and called the GO atrocious.

"The Jagan Mohan Reddy regime brought out this dark GO only to stifle the opposition voices that have been exposing the miserable failures of the government. This regime has been resorting to vendetta as there has been tremendous public response to Chandrababu Naidu's rallies," TDP state president K Atchannaidu said in a statement.

The GO only revealed that Jagan Mohan Reddy was too scared of losing at the hustings.

"We will not be cowed down by such things and continue to raise our voice for the people’s cause," Atchannaidu asserted.

Jana Sena Political Affairs Committee chairman Nadendla Manohar said the "midnight GO" only exposed the dictatorial attitude of the Jagan Mohan Reddy regime.

"Activities by political parties are also in accordance with the freedom of expression granted under Article 19 of the Constitution. Has the Jagan government decided to abolish Article 19 in Andhra Pradesh," Manohar questioned angrily.

Suppressing basic rights in the name of law and order amounted to violation of the Constitution, Manohar alleged.

BJP state general secretary S Vishnuvardhan Reddy said the YSR Congress should know that conducting public meetings and rallies was the right of any political party. But this government has taken a strange decision not to allow opposition parties come out onto the streets against its rule, he lashed out in a statement.

CPI state secretary K Ramakrishna also condemned the government order.

The ruling dispensation, however, maintained the prohibitory orders would apply to the YSRC as well.

"There are no political motives behind the GO but the opposition parties are trying to politicise it. These rules are part of the Police Act only. The GO was brought out in the wake of the Kandukuru incident in which eight persons were killed," YSRC general secretary and government advisor S R K Reddy claimed.

He noted that anybody could challenge the GO in court. "In that case, the government will tell the court why the GO was issued," he said.

BJP MP Narasimha Rao, the lone supporter from the opposition, welcomed the GO and said the government's move was right in the wake of the recent incident.

"We suggest the GO be reviewed after some time. If it is used to curb opposition rallies, we will sure oppose it," the Rajya Sabha member said.