Chandrababu Naidu vs Jagan Reddy Live: TDP chief taken into preventive custody, police locks main gate

Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh have been placed under house arrest on Wednesday (September 11) morning. Ahead of TDP's 'Chalo Atmakur' rally against the YSR Congress Party, Naidu and several other leaders of the TDP have also been put under preventive detention.

Following his arrest, Naidu sat on a hunger strike at around 8 am and will reportedly continue till 8 pm to protest against the said move. The protest rally was called by the TDP over alleged attacks on party workers by the ruling YSR Congress Party of Jagan Reddy.

Meanwhile, Section 144 has been imposed in Narasaraopeta, Sattenapalle, Palnadu and Gurajala. Many party leaders and workers who were on their way to the former Chief Minister's residence were stopped by police and taken into preventive custody. Stay tuned with ibtimes.co.in to get live updates about the development of Chandrababu Naidu and Jagan Mohan Reddy's YSR Congress Party.

Andhra Police has locked the main gate of TDP chief and former Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu's residence. He was leaving for Atmakur for party's 'Çhalo Atmakur' rally despite being put under preventive custody by the police.

DG of Police Damodar Goutam Sawang said that Opposition leader of Andhra Pradesh N Chandrababu Naidu has been taken into preventive custody as his actions are increasing tensions and creating disturbance to law and order in the Palnadu region of Guntur district. However, the Andhra Police clarified that preventive custody was not because Naidu opposed the government.

After being put under preventive custody, TDP leader Nara Lokesh said: "This is dictatorship, we are being stopped in an undemocratic way. TDP leaders and workers are being harassed. YSRCP MLAs are openly threatening us, saying police is with them."

"The ruling party is trying to strangulate our party across Andhra Pradesh. We were doing our activities in a democratic manner but our entire leadership was put under house arrest. This is the murder of democracy," says Nara Lokesh.

TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu leaves for Atmakur from his residence in Amaravati for his party's 'Chalo Atmakur' rally, called against alleged political violence by YSRCP. News agency ANI reported that the Andhra Pradesh Police has locked the main gate of former Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu's residence. He was leaving for Atmakur for party's 'Çhalo Atmakur' rally despite being put under preventive custody by the police.

The TDP workers en route to Chandrababu Naidu's residence were stopped by the police and taken into preventive custody. Check the pictures here:

Former Andhra CM N Chandrababu Naidu had announced 'Chalo Atmakur' on September 11 to campaign for 'saving democracy' and 'safeguarding human rights in the region'. Director-General of Police Gautam Sawang had earlier said there was no permission for meetings, processions, rallies or protests in Palnadu region as Section 144 of Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) and Section 30 of Police Act were in force.

However, TDP had announced that it will go ahead with the protest rally.

Earlier, TDP has alleged that its eight party cadres were killed in the attacks by the ruling YSRCP leaders, most of them in Palnadu region. It claimed that 500 TDP activists and sympathisers were attacked since the announcement of election results in May.

In view of TDP's call for 'Chalo Atmakur' rally, Andhra Pradesh police have put several party leaders and workers under house arrest. The police is saying that TDP did not receive any permission to take out the protest rally. The ruling YSR Congress Party is indulging into political violence, alleges TDP as the YSRCP has killed as many as eight of its party workers and have attacked many more.