KADAPA: Telugu Desam Party leaders had unleashed a propaganda war against the Congress, officials and police machinery in a planned manner, in a bid to justify its poor show in the first phase of Panchayat Raj elections, Congress leaders alleged here on Thursday.

The TDP's tirade against the police since weeks was a ploy to demoralise the police force and ensure that they did not arrest TDP functionaries or restrict their movements on the polling day, they alleged at a press conference here. The TDP raised a hue and cry accusing Congress of perpetrating violence, but those injured at Ippenta, Siddhavatam and Atlur mandal in Wednesday's poll violence were Congressmen, ZP Chairman K. Suresh Babu, Kadapa Mayor P. Ravindranath Reddy, DCC President A. Amarnath Reddy and APCC member M. Ashok Kumar asserted.

Naidu's remarks flayed

Deploring TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu's remarks that Congress made a mockery of democracy and that polling day was a black day, they alleged that Mr. Naidu `murdered' democracy by ousting his father-in-law N.T. Rama Rao from chief ministership by `backdoor methods'. They charged Mr. Naidu with posting police officials favouring the ruling party in 1996 Assembly elections and foisting 22 cases on Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and 19 cases against PCC member M. Ashok Kumar. Almost all Congress leaders were then arrested and prevented from moving about on the polling day then. In sharp contrast, no TDP leader was arrested on the polling day and they moved about without any curbs, the Congress leaders stated.

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