Vijayawada stays clear of political violence after 2019 elections

VIJAYAWADA: Though Vijayawada is considered one of the most politically sensitive places in the state, not a single incident of political attack has been reported in Vijayawada police commissionerate limits after the 2019 elections.
And this is at a time when people fled their homes and villages in other districts in fear of reprisals by political opponents.
Though many cases turned out to be false during the course of investigation, every police district witnessed incidences of political violence after results. Vijayawada city is the only exception to this.
There has been huge outcry by TDP leaders over attacks on their cadre across the state. They had printed a booklet narrating the alleged attacks on the TDP cadre and submitted to DGP D Gautam Sawang.
While the TDP has stated that there have been 297 incidents of attacks on its cadre across the state, the police concluded after the investigation that out of the 297 incidents, 161 are false cases and only 131 cases are factual and cases have been registered.
Even according to the booklet published by TDP, there have been no incidents of political violence in Vijayawada commissionerate limits. There have been incidences of political violence in Krishna and adjacent Guntur and West Godavari districts. The camp organised by TDP with victims of political violence who left their homes from the villages in Palnadu area of Guntur rural police district has become a sensation across the state.
Speaking to TOI, Vijayawada police commissioner Ch Dwaraka Tirumala Rao said that there was no secret behind this achievement. “We just go by law in a non-partisan manner and same yardstick is applied to all parties irrespective of the regime. Perhaps that was the only reason that Vijayawada city unit is the only unit with no incidences of political violence,” he said.