Nara Lokesh, a prominent leader of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the son of the incarcerated former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, has made serious allegations against the police. He claimed that law enforcement officers were scrutinizing WhatsApp messages of individuals participating in a car rally in Rajahmundry, all in a show of support for his imprisoned father. Naidu is currently detained in a Rajahmundry jail in connection with a significant corruption case related to skill development.
A group of tech professionals from Hyderabad had organized a 'Chalo Rajahmundry' car rally as a demonstration of solidarity with Naidu. However, the police denied permission for the rally to take place.
Lokesh shared a video on social media in which two police officers were seen examining the contents of a man's phone.
In his statement on a platform, he expressed deep concerns about the large police presence used to halt a car rally and the alleged intrusion into the WhatsApp messenger app on the phones of ordinary citizens. He stressed the importance of safeguarding an individual's privacy, even in the most critical situations. Lokesh went on to draw a comparison between the situation in Andhra Pradesh and oppressive regimes like North Korea, asserting that democratic principles were gradually eroding.
The police had set up barricades and conducted checks at the border between Andhra Pradesh and Telangana in response to the 'Chalo Rajahmundry' call made by Hyderabad's tech community.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ramesh, based in Mylavaram, issued an appeal to the public, urging them not to travel to Rajahmundry. He warned that legal action would be taken against anyone violating the orders.
Naidu was arrested on September 9 on allegations of misappropriating funds from the Skill Development Corporation, which supposedly led to a loss of over Rs 300 crore to the state treasury.
In a related development, the Supreme Court declined to entertain Naidu's plea seeking to have the FIR filed against him by the state's Crime Investigation Department (CID) in connection with the case quashed. The Chief Justice of India, DY Chandrachud, instructed Naidu's legal team to mention the case on Tuesday evening.
