Amaravati, Nov 13 Police in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur have registered a case against former minister and YSR Congress party leader Ambati Rambabu and others for unlawful assembly and threatening police officers on duty.
Rambabu and his supporters had taken out a rally without police permission, and when stopped, they allegedly threatened police officials.
A case has been registered at Pattabhipuram Police Station under various sections of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Police said the rally, held without permission, caused traffic disruptions and inconvenienced the public.
The YSRCP leaders and cadres took to the roads as part of the party's statewide protest against the privatisation of medical colleges.
The case has been registered under BNS sections (assaulting or using criminal force against public servants to prevent them from discharging their duty), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), 351(3) (criminal intimidation) and 189(2) (unlawful assembly).
According to police, Rambabu was told by DSP Arvind and CI Ganga Venkateshwarlu that there is no permission for the rally, but he, along with his supporters, went ahead with the protest. They tried to remove the barricades and entered into an argument with the police.
Similar cases were registered against Rambabu in the past during the protests called by the YSRCP over various issues.
The YSRCP cadres took out rallies in all the constituencies on Wednesday to protest against the privatisation of medical colleges.
YSRCP president and former chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy posted on 'X' that privatisation of medical colleges has drawn strong resistance from people across the state, and the massive rallies held in all 175 constituencies stand as proof of their collective voice.
"I am deeply proud of our citizens, YSRCP cadre, YSRCP leaders, like-minded parties and like-minded organisations who came forward voluntarily to defend public education and healthcare. This commitment shows that people value social welfare over private gain and are determined to safeguard the state's future," he wrote.
"At the behest of their political parties, though the police tried in every possible way to stop these rallies, people did not step back. They continued with courage and discipline, standing united for a just cause. Their determination and peaceful participation reflected the true democratic spirit of the state and proved that the voice of the people cannot be silenced by force," he added.
Jagan Mohan Reddy demanded that Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu respect this strong public sentiment and immediately withdraw his decision to privatise medical colleges.
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