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‘Will make cops lick my boots once TDP comes to power’: former MP Diwakar Reddy
The former MP’s comments evoked strong reactions from the Anantapur district police officers’ association on Thursday. The association threatened to file a defamation case against Reddy and prosecute him, if he did not tender an unconditional apology.
Senior Telugu Desam Party leader and former Anantapur MP J C Diwakar Reddy on Wednesday started a controversy by making a remark that he would make police officials lick his shoes once the TDP returned to power in the next elections.
The former MP’s comments evoked strong reactions from the Anantapur district police officers’ association on Thursday. The association threatened to file a defamation case against Reddy and prosecute him, if he did not tender an unconditional apology.
Reddy made these comments while speaking at a meeting of the TDP at Anantapur in the presence of party president and former chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu.
Alleging that the police in Anantapur district were acting like stooges of the ruling YSR Congress party, the former MP said that police officers were bringing pressure on the opposition party leaders to join the ruling party or face criminal cases.
“The superintendent of police is a good man, but he is also under pressure. Some police officers are acting at the behest of the YSRC and harassing TDP workers and even retired government officials. These police officers, who still have more than 10 years of service, will not be spared. Once the TDP comes back to power, I will make these policemen lick my boots,’’ he said.
Anantapur district police officers’ association took strong exception to Reddy’s comments and demanded an unconditional apology from him.
Speaking to reporters, association president Sake Trilok Nath said the people of Anantapur were aware who the real boot-lickers were. “The former MP is known for his loose tongue. He has paid penalty for his unsavoury comments in the past too,” he said.
He challenged Reddy to move freely in the district without his gunmen. “It is unfortunate that even Chandrababu Naidu, who has worked for 14 years as chief minister, did not condemn Reddy’s comments,” he said.
The association threatened to file a defamation case against the former MP and fight for his prosecution. “We shall seek permission from our top brass to file a criminal case against Reddy, if he does not apologize for his comments,” the association leader said.
This is not the first time that Reddy has picked a quarrel with the district police. In September 2018, he called the police “eunuchs” for allegedly not bringing the situation under control during a group clash in a village near Tadipatri in the district.
Reacting sharply to Reddy’s comments, Gorantla police inspector V Madhav, who was then district police officers’ association president, threatened to slash the tongue of Reddy, who was then MP, if he disrespected the morale of the force.
The Inspector later resigned from the department, joined the YSR Congress party and won the parliamentary elections as an MP from Hindupur in May this year.
