Police Ignore Modi at Praja Galam, IB Serious!

The TDP-BJP-JSP alliance’s Praja Galam public meeting in Palnadu is creating ripples in the political and police circles in Andhra Pradesh. With Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech being disrupted for some time, the Centre took serious view of the shortcomings of the police security at the meeting.

Apart from Modi, even other speakers at the meeting faced a lot of inconvenience with the overenthusiastic public climbing onto the audio consoles and disrupting the power supply. Some others even climbed onto the towers arranged for lighting and sound when Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself had to urge them to get down as there was the threat of electrocution when one perched on those towers. A few even hurled water bottles onto the stage.

These incidents prompted the Intelligence Bureau (IB) officials to take serious view of the security arrangements for the meeting.

The IB officials faulted the Andhra Pradesh police force for their lackadaisical attitude in organising the Praja Galam meet in Palnadu district even when VVIPs like Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several other BJP MPs were attending it.

In a report submitted by the IB to the Centre, it was stated that SPG alerted the AP state police over the shortcomings in the security but yet the state police ignored the fact.

On the other hand, there is buzz that the police even prevented public from entering the premises of the public meeting to help the YCP government term it as a ‘failure’.

It is learnt that the Andhra Pradesh BJP leaders also submitted a report to the central leaders briefing them about the ulterior motives of the YCP government in arranging poor security at the meeting venue.

Three IPS officers — Intelligence DIG PSR Anjaneyulu, Guntur Range DIG Balraju, Palnadu district SP Ravisankar Reddy, are likely to face action for the poor security measures at the meeting.

An inquiry has been ordered into the inadequate security at the Praja Galam meeting and if it is proved that the police intentionally neglected the protection of the VVIPs, then action will be initiated against them.

Further, the TDP, Jana Sena and BJP cadres submitted a complaint to the Chief Election Commissioner that the three IPS officers should be removed from election duties for their lackadaisical attitude in providing stringent security for the meeting attended by VVIPs.