The Central government has provided Z category security to TDP National General Secretary Nara Lokesh. He will be protected by ten armed men at all times. Armed commandos of the VIP wing of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will stand guard from Sunday.
On Sunday, 33 central personnel will reach Lokesh’s house with weapons. The state government and Lokesh received information to this effect from Delhi on Saturday evening. The National Security Force has replaced the security that the state government has deliberately reduced.
Soon after coming to power, YS Jaganmohan Reddy government downgraded the security of both former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and also his son and former IT Minister Lokesh from Z category to normal, keeping 2+2 security cover. However, immediately, Chandrababu Naidu’s security was restored with the judicial intervention.
Before 2019, the then Security Review Committee recommended to the Center that Lokesh, who served as the state’s IT and Panchayat Raj minister, required JD category security.
The influence of Maoists in AOB, the fact that Maoists have repeatedly warned that they will end Chandrababu’s family, and the killing of an MLA and former MLA by Maoists before the last election, the police increased security for Lokesh in the previous government.
The subsequent YCP government reduced the security of Lokesh due to political malice. Ignoring the recommendations of the Security Review Committee, Y category security was provided and Lokesh was prevented from moving freely outside.
Being a key leader in the main opposition party, he wrote letters 14 times to the state home department and the police boss asking for JD category security, but there was no response.
However, a law has been made to provide protection to Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s family members in the country and abroad by forming a unit with more than 400 special armed men.
As the state government did not pay attention, the officials supervising Lokesh’s security wrote letters to the Governor and the Central Home Ministry to increase security. The Center responded by writing a letter explaining the need for security in the Yuvagalam Padayatra along with the videos of YCP inspired riots, physical attacks and other security issues.
