The Chittoor police on Wednesday denied permission to TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu to conduct roadshows in the Kuppam Assembly constituency. They have sent a communication to the TDP stating that permission was not given to the tour as they did not comply with the rules and did not respond to their earlier notices.

The police on Tuesday issued notices to the TDP leaders to apply for permission with specific mention of the venue of their meeting to be addressed by Chandrababu Naidu. The police quoted the new GO issued by the state government restricting the roadshows and street corner meetings without permission.

The TDP leaders refused to apply for permission as per the new GO and said that they would go ahead with their original schedule. Chandrababu Naidu is scheduled to tour the Kuppam constituency for three days starting on Wednesday.

The state government issued the new GO following a stampede in Kandukuru town of SPSR Nellore district where eight people were killed and another stampede in Guntur where three women were killed. The opposition TDP organised both the events that took 11 lives and caused injuries to several others.

While the government wants to prevent rallies and meetings on the roads, the TDP is insisting upon having their programmes on the roads. Sources say that Chandrababu Naidu and his TDP leaders plan to go ahead with their original plan and see what the police would do to them.