Amarnath accuses Naidu of using caste politics to deflect from custodial death case

Former Minister Gudivada Amarnath has criticised Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for allegedly linking the custodial death of Sai Krishna in Vijayawada to caste politics, accusing the NDA government of diverting attention from the core issue.

Addressing a press conference at the party office on Thursday, Mr. Amarnath said that the Chief Minister's remarks on the incident during his Kurnool tour were irresponsible. He alleged that Mr. Naidu has failed to address the seriousness of the issue by portraying it as caste-related politics.

The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader alleged that such an incident—where a youth was allegedly beaten to death in police custody and his body subsequently cremated, leaving no trace of evidence—had not occurred anywhere else in the country.

Referring to reports that Sai Krishna had a criminal background, Mr. Amarnath said that even if an individual had committed an offence, punishment should be decided by the judiciary and not by the police. “If someone commits a crime, the courts are there to punish them. Can the police themselves decide to kill a person and reduce the body to ashes?” he questioned.

Mr. Amarnath also questioned why Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha did not address the media regarding the incident despite frequently responding to other law-and-order issues. He reiterated his demand for a CBI probe into the incident.

The incident has sparked political controversy, with the opposition accusing the state government of mishandling the case and demanding a thorough investigation. The state government has not yet issued a detailed response to the allegations.