The ruling YSRCP has formally approached the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to demand action against the Narayana Group of educational institutions led by Dr P Narayana.
YSRCP MLC Lella Appi Reddy held a meeting with Chief Electoral Officer Mukesh Kumar Meena on Monday, submitting a formal representation.
In the complaint addressed to the Election Commission (EC), Appi Reddy highlighted the alleged unauthorised collection of personal data by the Narayana Group from the families of students enrolled in its schools and colleges. Specifically, he pointed out that Narayana School in Nellore had distributed forms instructing students to provide details such as addresses, phone numbers, polling booth numbers, and Voter IDs of their family members.
Citing the provisions of Articles 18 and 21 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, Appi Reddy said that gathering personal data of students’ family members is a violation of the mentioned act. Accordingly, he urged the EC to take immediate action against the educational institution. The Narayana Group operates numerous schools, junior colleges, and professional colleges throughout the state.
Appi Reddy urged the CEO to instruct Narayana Educational Institutions, its promoters, and staff to surrender all collected data. Additionally, he called for the punishment and disqualification of Dr P Narayana and any other individuals found responsible for the unauthorised collection of personal data, if proven true during the upcoming elections.
Dr. P Narayana, the founder of Narayana Educational Institutions, holds dual roles as an educationist and an active politician. A former Member of the Legislative Council and Minister in the Council of Ministers for the AP State, Dr P Narayana is presently involved in Andhra Pradesh politics as an active member of the Telugu Desam Party, which is currently in opposition. Surprisingly, recent findings suggest his intention to contest the upcoming election in the Nellore constituency, Nellore District, on a Telugu Desam Party ticket. Dr P Narayana has also been implicated in several criminal cases, raising serious concerns about the integrity of both the educational institution and its founder.