Jagan accuses TDP government of vendetta over Alur MLA's arrest

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday accused the TDP-led coalition government in Andhra Pradesh of misusing the police machinery to target Opposition leaders and workers. In a post on X, he alleged that those responsible for attacks were being protected while cases were being registered against victims.

The arrest of Alur MLA B. Virupakshi and his son Chandrasekhar from their residence in the early hours of Sunday was the focus of Mr. Jagan's latest salvo. He questioned the deployment of a large police contingent to arrest the legislator and his son, saying the manner of arrest raised serious concerns about the rule of law in the State.

Mr. Jagan said the incident leading to the arrest began with an attack on the residence of a YSRCP leader at Nemakallu village in Chippagiri mandal. The local leader had contacted Mr. Virupakshi seeking protection for his family, he said, adding that responding to such an appeal from a party worker could not be treated as a crime.

The former Chief Minister further alleged that TDP workers attacked the MLA when he visited the village, and that the legislator's brother, Sriramulu, sustained injuries. Instead of taking action against those responsible for the attack, the government had allegedly registered attempt-to-murder cases against the MLA and YSRCP workers, he claimed.

Mr. Jagan also questioned the seizure of CCTV hard disks from the MLA's residence, alleging that the move was intended to prevent the release of footage of the police action. He further claimed that several YSRCP leaders had been booked in different cases for opposing the government.

In a related allegation, he said former Guntur East MLA Shaik Mohammed Mustafa and his son had been implicated in a kidnapping case despite having handed over the person concerned to the police. Mr. Jagan said such actions were part of a broader strategy to cripple the Opposition.

Asserting that the YSRCP would continue to stand by its workers, Mr. Jagan said arrests, police action and criminal cases would not deter the party from fighting what he described as political vendetta and injustice.

Mr. Virupakshi represents the Alur constituency in Kurnool district. The specific charges against him and his son have not been officially disclosed yet. The state government has not issued a formal response to Mr. Jagan's allegations, and the events described by him could not be independently verified.

Mr. Jagan, who served as Chief Minister from 2019 to 2024, has previously accused the government of using state agencies to target YSRCP leaders. The arrest of a sitting MLA is likely to further escalate the political confrontation between the ruling TDP and the Opposition YSRCP, which have been at loggerheads since the 2024 Assembly elections. This is not the first time such allegations have been made; leaders from both parties have often accused each other of misusing the police and the courts. The developments are being closely watched as they could influence the political climate in the state in the coming weeks.