Police in Andhra Pradesh acting under legal purview, not on behalf of government, says APPOA chief Rao

The police in the state are acting under the legal purview and not on behalf of the ruling party, said Andhra Pradesh Police Officers Association (APPOA) president Janugula Srinivas Rao here on Monday.

Responding to the allegations of TDP leader and former police officer Varla Ramaiah that some police officers are acting on behalf of the ruling party in the state, Rao told media persons: "We condemn the allegation made by Ramaiah. Police are acting only under the legal purview."

Rao said that the police are not afraid of threats from Ramaiah, while Md Mastan Khan, General Secretary of the Association, said that some politicians are demeaning the Police Department.

"Ramaiah is trying to demoralise the Police Department by levelling baseless allegations against the state DGP," said Khan.

The APPOA also thanked Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for giving a weekly off to all police personnel. It said the police have no political slant and act only as per the law.

G Sankar Reddy, joint secretary of APPOA, said that Ramaiah was a police officer for almost 20 years and also took a pension from the Police Department. "But after becoming a politician, he is speaking with a twisted tongue," he said.

He asked Ramaiah to observe restraint while making baseless comments on the police. "We all know what your past was," said Reddy. APPOA also warned of legal action against Ramaiah if he continues to level baseless allegations against the police.