Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy, who had reportedly plotted to create an atmosphere of terror on the polling day by now allowing political opponents to raise their voice, seems to be shocked with the aggressive reaction from the Election Commission of India (ECI).
Beginning with the shifting of Intelligence Chief and DGP, besides sending a key police officer to Assam on poll duty, the ECI conveyed that it is serious to ensure law and order during the polling in the state. Moreover, it has also transferred some key officers like Anantapur DIG.
It has sent warning signals to several officers and they tried to be `neutral’. Though some polling agents of TDP were kidnapped in Punganur, they were set free by the time of starting of polling. This has led to mostly peaceful polling in faction-ridden districts like Kadapa, Kurnool, Anantapur and Chittoor.
This made some YCP MLAs, who are known for their violent behaviour, become restless and resorted to post-poll violence. Incidents of Tadipatri, Tirupati and Palnadu clearly established that the police colluded with the ruling party MLAs in resorting to indiscriminate violence to terrorize political opponents.
But, forming of SIT against erred police officers created panic both among officers and also YCP leaders. Now, the SIT report is likely to act like a domicile sword on certain officers, who acted in proximity with the ruling party.
According to the sources, the `Pen Drive’ provided by TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu has provided key evidence for the SIT report. It contained specific evidence in atleast 30 incidents of violence. For the first time in the recent past, a TDP delegation led by its politburo member and a former police officer Varla Ramaiah met the DGP Harish Gupta and handed over this `Pen Drive’.
Both police and YCP circles are surprised at how TDP can collect such crucial evidence within a short period. Intelligence IG Vineet, who is leading the SIT has reportedly handed over this `pen drive’ to SIT members as a crucial basis for their investigations at the field level.
