For the past few days, the Andhra Pradesh high court has been issuing a series of orders nailing the decisions of the Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy government in the state, on a series of petitions filed by the Telugu Desam Party leaders and their followers.
Though the high court could have gone strictly by the evidences before it and the arguments put forth by the lawyers on both the sides, its judgements have come under criticism from the YSRC followers in the social media.
There were several comments questioning the integrity and impartiality of the high court judges. Some even went to the extent of alleging that the high court had turned into another TDP office and there were also comments that the HC was acting like another opposition in the state.
There are reports that the high court is planning to take up a suo motu investigation into these negative comments by social media activists closer to the YSRC. Some petitions have also been filed by the TDP supporters.
Interestingly, a YSR Congress party MLC V Gopal Reddy also filed a petition in the high court seeking action against TDP president N Chandrababu Naidu for allegedly violating the lockdown norms issued by the Central government to fight against Covid-19, while returning to Amaravati from Hyderabad on Sunday.
According to Reddy, Naidu was accorded rousing reception by hundreds of TDP activists as he entered Andhra Pradesh at Garikapadu checkpost.
“The TDP activists blatantly violated social distancing norms. Many of them did not even wear masks and had assembled in big numbers at every village en route. They even took out motorbike rally in Amaravati till his residence,” he alleged.
He alleged that even Naidu had not discouraged the party workers from assembling in such large numbers. Instead, he came out of his car and waved at them using victory symbol.
“This is nothing but encouraging the party workers to break the lockdown norms. Having worked as chief minister in the past, Naidu should not have violated the norms,” Reddy said.
As per the Epidemic diseases Act of 1897, any person violating the laws is liable for imprisonment for two years, apart from penalty.
It remains to be seen how the HC will treat this petition and recommend any action against the TDP chief.
