Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh) [India], July 5 (ANI): YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the N Chandrababu Naidu-led Andhra Pradesh government, accusing it of misusing police machinery to suppress political dissent while allegedly failing to address rising crimes against vulnerable sections of society.
“You (Chandrababu) are pushing the police system down an extremely dangerous path to carry out political repression and silence those who question you. Through the unhealthy practices that have emerged under your rule, you have sown poisonous seeds across the State, and they are gradually taking root and growing into a dangerous culture,” the YSRCP chief said.
“When children go missing, there is no urgency in the investigation. When complaints relating to crimes against women are not even registered, there is no response. Even when a tribal woman is stripped and assaulted, there are no arrests. But if someone questions the government on social media, they are met with cases, arrests, custodial torture, and non-bailable charges”, he added.
Taking to X, the former Chief Minister alleged that the state administration is prioritising the targeting of social media activists over essential law enforcement. He claimed that while individuals questioning the government are being booked under stringent legal provisions, serious criminal cases involving women and children are facing deliberate delays and inadequate investigations.
https://x.com/ysjagan/status/2073711215571091779
Highlighting specific instances, Reddy pointed to the disappearance of a minor girl in Kakinada, the alleged sexual assault of a mentally challenged girl in Peddapuram, and the assault of a tribal woman in SPSR Nellore. He further cited alleged custodial deaths, including those of Sai Krishna, Gangamma, and Tirupatamma, as evidence of a “breakdown in policing and accountability.”
The YSRCP president specifically condemned the police action against YouTubers and activists, describing the treatment of KVR, an Osmania University Gold Medalist journalist, as “extremely reprehensible”.
“Bringing YouTube influencer and Osmania University Gold Medalist journalist KVR from Hyderabad with a large police force, without following due legal procedure, falsely attributing acts to him that he never committed in the FIR, and sending him to jail is an extremely reprehensible act,” Reddy stated.
Addressing the Chief Minister directly, Reddy questioned the double standards regarding freedom of speech:
“Chandrababu, you, Pawan Kalyan, Lokesh, and your party leaders have said many things in the past and continue to say the same even now. Today, others are merely repeating those very same words and questioning you. If that is the case, shouldn’t the very same charges be applied to you as well? Portraying critics as criminals, sending your people to attack police stations with the intention of eliminating them, while the police remain silent spectators, are all dangerous signs for democracy. This is an attack on constitutional rights. This is an attack on democratic values,” the YSRCP chief said.
“Chandrababu, what Andhra Pradesh needs is not a rogue police state. It does not need jungle raj. It needs a government that ensures the safety and security of its people. It needs a system that delivers justice to victims. It needs faith that everyone is equal before the law. It needs a police system that functions in accordance with the Constitution, not at the behest of political instructions,” he added.
Reddy asserted that the current administration is weakening democratic institutions and urged a return to governance that prioritises the rule of law over political vendettas. (ANI)
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