Pawan raises law and order issue at AP cabinet meet

VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu promised to effectively streamline police operations within a month’s time. This came after a law and order issue was raised by Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan at the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Pawan Kalyan brought up the matter at the fag end of the Cabinet meeting. He cited the “poor law and order situation and the misinformation campaigns against the state government and coalition leaders due to police inaction.”

The Deputy CM explained that he had raised the issue the day before at a public event, as he was concerned about the "inaction of the police" against abusive posts that targeted his family members, among others.

Pawan stated that certain leaders from the YSRC were intentionally inciting tension through provocative online posts. He expressed outrage at the level of indecency in such posts, which "even targeted women sitting in their homes." "Some officers have adopted a soft attitude towards the YSRC leaders," he said.

"Several officials, who had stood by Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy during his tenure as Chief Minister, continue to hold important positions within the police department. The indifference shown by some SPs, when contacted for assistance, is unacceptable," Pawan said.

The Deputy Chief Minister added that lower-level officers like DSPs and CIs were not demonstrating a sense of accountability. The Chief Minister swiftly responded to Pawan’s concerns, stating that the current state of police functioning had much to do with the previous government’s failings. Naidu acknowledged that there was a pressing need to correct the sense of drift.

The CM stated, "We shall overhaul the police system within a month. Law and order will be strictly enforced, and there will be no leniency towards individuals who hurl abuses on others through social media channels." In response, Pawan Kalyan pointed out that corruption existed within the police department. Certain SPs showed a lack of seriousness in discharging their responsibilities. The Chief Minister promised to hold regular discussions to streamline and improve police operations within a month, it is learnt.