In a bid to outwit the government, particularly the police who are determined to keep him out of Kuppam, his home constituency, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu climbed atop a bus to address his supporters in a defiant note after the police took away his campaign vehicle to prevent his roadshows.

While many had chosen to write him off in Andhra Pradesh politics after a series of electoral losses, Naidu has unsurprisingly bounced back into reckoning and turned the tables on the YSRCP-led state government as it tried to implement its own government order of prohibiting roadshows and roadside meetings following two incidents of stampede, one at Naidu’s roadshow and the other a public meeting attended by him.

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During his three-day visit to Kuppam, the former chief minister repeatedly pointed out that while the YSRCP was being allowed to hold meetings and roadshows, all restrictions were being placed only on the Opposition TDP.

Alleging that thousands of policemen were deployed in Kuppam, Naidu asked whether the TDP leaders were terrorists. Yesterday, he had wondered if Kuppam was in Pakistan and that they were being kept away.

Alleging that YSRCP leaders were being allowed to organise meetings, he wondered, “Do they have a separate rule for TDP leaders? I really pity the police who have turned almost into slaves.”

Blaming Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for the restrictions imposed on him by the district police Naidu reminded them that “the primary duty of the police is to protect law and order and not beating up people”.

He even squatted on the road in protest at Gudupalli after the police prevented him from going out to the local TDP office. With his campaign vehicle taken away by the police the septuagenarian leader climbed atop the bus which is part of his convoy to address the people who had gathered around, mostly TDP leaders and activists. He had complained to the DGP after police took away his campaign vehicle and another one carrying the sound system but to no avail.

Meanwhile, the YSRCP slammed Naidu for defying government order (GO) prohibiting roadside meetings and roadshows on national and state highways, panchayat and municipal roads citing the recent stampede as well as inconvenience caused to the people.

YSRCP general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said, “Instead of tendering an apology publicly for the incidents at Kandukur and Guntur, Naidu has been resorting to political drama and chaotic demonstrations showing scant respect for the law of the land.”

He also claimed that the order was applicable to even the YSRCP; he wondered how Naidu toured Kuppam for the past three days if YSRCP was keen to scuttle only Opposition’s meetings. YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has been trying to win over Kuppam from TDP and both parties are engaged in a fierce political battle on ground over this constituency in Chittoor district