YSRCP Kovvur MLA Nallapureddy Prasanna Kumar Reddy on Saturday dared the police to arrest him on charges of violating the lockdown regulations.

THe YSRCP MLA, who was booked under Section 144 which bans assembly of four or more people during the lockdown, asked ministers Mekapati Goutham Reddy and Anil to respond on this : “Is it wrong to distribute food and other essentials to the people. I am aware of the rules. If you have courage, arrest me and send me to jail. Will you slap charges against officials who participated in the programme?. Will you book a case against me? I will bring this issue to the notice of the CM. I will not keep quiet if any official who took part in the programme were to be suspended.”

Without naming any individual, he questioned if it was fair that they conduct video-conferences in A/C rooms while the volunteers, police personnel, VROs and other government employees were put in the frontline posing a grave risk to their lives. “While they are slugging it out in the heat and dust, risking their lives, you are sitting in A/C rooms,” he asked the SPs and the district collectors.

It may be recalled that a case was booked against Prasanna Kumar Reddy for violating lockdown regulations to prevent the spread of corona virus in the state. The case was filed against the Kovvur YSRCP MLA for violating social distancing norm when the legislator and his hundreds of his associates distributed vegetables and groceries to people in his constituency.

Hundreds of supporters of the MLA took part in the food distribution programme organised by Nallapureddy Prasanna Kumar Reddy in the middle of March. The lockdown rules were thrown out of the window. None of those who took part in the pgramme wore masks and none of them maintained physical distance. It did not look one bit social work. The MLA with folded hands was a typical photo op during the election season.