AP Ex-DGP Prasad Rao Wants His Job Back; Questions Naidu Removing Him

AP Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu’s decision to remove 1979 batch IPS officer B Prasada Rao and replace with a 1981 IPS JV Ramudu raised eyebrows when it was done but was overlooked as several things were happening fast at the same time in residuary AP, with the swearing-in of Naidu and the debate around the upcoming capital city. The issue now resurfaced as the hurt EX-DGP decided to fight back and shot off a letter to the AP Chief Secretary, the union home ministry and the UPSC.

In his  letter, Rao seemed to have argued that he was selected DGP of the undivided AP as per the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) guidelines and after the mandatory screening process and therefore, was to have a  2 year fixed tenure as per the Supreme Court guidelines.  He seemed to have pointed out that he was appointed DGP on Sept 30, 2013 by the then Chief Minister and that would mean he needs to be continued as DGP till Sept 30, 2015. The DGP demanded he be restored as DGP immediately.

Soon after N Chandrababu Naidu was sworn in as the Chief Minister of AP, he shifted Prasada Rao and appointed JV Ramudu, a 1981 batch IPS officer, in his place. Sources close to Rao said when the AP government issued orders removing him, he felt hurt, more so because of his impeccable track record. SC wings of several parties, including YSRCP criticized that the decision reeked of caste bias. Prasad Rao is an SC while the new appointee JV Ramudu is from Naidu’s own caste. Allegations of caste bias have consistently rocked IPS fraternity when it came to promotions and appointments to plum posts.

Even during the Telangana agitation, when the then Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar criticized B Prasad Rao when he interfered in Prabhakar’s altercation with the then CM Kiran Kumar Reddy, SC groups in Andhra were up in arms and demanded an SC/ST Atrocities case be registered against Ponnam Prabhakar. In the wake of Prasad Rao’s latest letter, the response of these groups could be interesting.

Hailing from Guntur district, Ex-DGP Prasad Rao had previously worked as Hyderabad Police Commissioner, DG, Anti-Corruption Bureau and Vizag Police Commissioner. Rao is well-known for his passion for physics and still does research and experiments in his laboratory at home. He is presently posted as Home Secretary, AP.