GO No. 1 an attack on democracy: Opposition

PNS|Vijayawada

TDP MLA Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary on Tuesday came down heavily on the State government for bringing in a GO which he termed a New Year gift that deprives the people of their democratic rights.

Butchaiah Chowadary told media persons at the party headquarters here that the GO No. 1 was issued on the provisions of the 1861 Police Act implemented by the then Britishers, which are totally outdated. This amounts to maligning democracy and it reflects the factionist mentality of Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. He said that GO No.1 is a classic example that CM Jagan Mohan Reddy turned out to be a murderer of democracy and it once again proved his dictatorial mentality, he said. The Chief Minister did not learn a lesson though the Press Council of India (PCI) pulled him up when he issued a similar GO No-2430.

BJP State president Somu Veerraju made some interesting comments on GO No. 1 imposed by the State government and said that the YSRC that came to power after roadshows and padayatras are not imposing restrictions on them. He asked why the GO is not uploaded in the public domain raising suspicions about the government’s perspective. He said through investigation should be done into the tragedy which claimed the lives of common people twice in four days and takes measures to prevent such incidents, he added.

CPM state secretary V Srinivas Rao demanded the state government for immediate withdrawal of GO 1 against organising roadshows and rallies across the state. He said that the GO was to cover up the failure of the state government. Giving all powers to the police is dangerous in the democratic system. He said that the CPM opposes the suppression of civil rights. Banning meetings, rallies and roadshows on municipal and panchayat roads citing Kandukur and Guntur incidents is undemocratic. He pointed out the Guntur incident and said that police failure is clearly visible, he added.

CPI State secretary K Ramakrishna said that CM Jagan Mohan Reddy was imposing rules like Hitler.

However, JSP chief Pawan Kalyan is yet to react to the GO issued by the State government imposing a ban on rallies and public meetings.