Amaravati, Feb 18 (IANS): Andhra Pradesh opposition leader and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national general secretary Nara Lokesh on Thursday alleged that the arrests of some party leaders prove the cowardice of Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

"The illegal arrests of TDP leaders is synonymous with Reddy's cowardly acts. Because of the fear of defeat in panchayat elections, TDP leaders are being illegally arrested and put behind bars," alleged Lokesh.

The TDP general secretary made these allegations in the light of the alleged arrest of former Denduluru MLA and firebrand TDP leader Chintamaneni Prabhakar.

Calling Prabhakar's arrest illegal, Lokesh condemned the development.

Demanding his immediate release, Lokesh alleged that a dispute occurred between two parties at B. Singavaram but a false case was filed against a person who was not present there.

He warned that some policemen are allegedly behaving like they are wearing Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) uniform and issued a warning to them that they will reap the consequence.

Meanwhile, he referred to the just concluded third phase panchayat elections in the southern state and alleged that the YSRCP cadres have turned it into a battle.

However, he claimed that TDP weathered all those alleged atrocities to win the polls and called that TDP aligned candidates who won the election in these alleged trying conditions as a aBahubali' each.

"Though TDP cadres won fewer victories in the face of Reddy's power and the spectator role played by officials, these are the real victories," claimed Lokesh. Eom/267 words.