Rallies, Public Meetings On Roads Banned In AP

Amaravati, Jan 3: Andhra Pradesh government banned organizing rallies and public meetings on roads and highways, and also on road margins and street corners.

However, the district superintendents of police or police commissioners could give conditional clearance, in rare cases, according to the orders by the Home department.

The decision comes in the wake of two incidents involving the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) which resulted in as many as 11 deaths in a space of three days recently.

Talking to media persons here on Tuesday, Adviser to the government Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, explained that the orders would apply to all political parties including the CM Jagan’s YSR Congress Party.

“All roadside meetings and rallies are banned. We suggest choosing alternative venues. Instead of roads, they can hold meetings in open spaces. People are losing lives at Chandrababu meetings. We have seen what happened in Kandukuru and Guntur. Chandrababu caused loss of innocent lives,” he alleged.

The ban comes as a jolt to the opposition TDP and Jana Sena Party which are planning padayatras and road shows to cover the entire state to prepare for next year’s elections.

It is quite likely that the ruling party meetings would be granted the so-called conditional permission putting the opposition at a clear disadvantage, political observers opine.

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