 "AP CM asks police to observe restraint in handling protests")
He also appealed the protestors to shun violence.
The Chief Minister held a high-level review meeting on law and order with Chief Secretary P K Mohanty, Director General of Police V Dinesh Reddy and top police officials this afternoon.
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Reddy asked the police to take adequate precautionary measures to ensure no damage was caused to statues of national leaders like Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi.
He wanted police to be deployed at the statues of these leaders to prevent vandalism, a press release from the CMO said.
The Chief Minister's directive came in the wake of destruction of statues of Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi in towns like Anantapur and Kurnool in protest against the Congress' decision to bifurcate Andhra Pradesh.
He condemned the destruction of statues and requested people not to resort to such acts.
"Those breaking law and order will be sternly dealt with," Reddy warned.
As the agitation was being held in a democratic manner, the chief minister wanted the police to act with utmost restraint and "be careful" in crowd management.
He also wanted the police to ensure safety of public and private properties in Andhra-Rayalaseema regions.
"The government is committed to ensuring safety and security of people," he asserted.