YSRCP Alleges Midnight Raid, 'Authoritarian' Arrest of Andhra MLA Virupakshi

The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has strongly condemned the arrest of Alur MLA Virupakshi and his son Chandrasekhar, accusing the Andhra Pradesh police of using excessive force during a pre-dawn operation at the legislator's residence in Kurnool district.

In a statement issued on Sunday, senior YSRCP leaders S.V. Mohan Reddy, MLC A. Madhusudhan, B.Y. Ramaiah and Katasani Ram Bhupal Reddy claimed that a large contingent of police personnel arrived at the MLA's house in Chippagiri around 2:45 a.m., forcibly broke open the doors, and took the two men into custody. The leaders described the operation as an assault on democratic values, alleging that the police intimidated family members and seized hard disks from closed-circuit television cameras installed at the residence.

According to the YSRCP leaders, Mr. Virupakshi had earlier gone to Sangala village in Chippagiri mandal to console the family of a party worker named Giri, whose house was allegedly attacked by TDP leader Nagaraju and his supporters. They further alleged that during the visit, TDP activists pelted stones at the MLA, injuring his brother, Sriramudu.

The party leaders said that although a complaint was lodged against the TDP leaders, the police failed to act on it and instead registered cases against the MLA. They specifically accused Chippagiri Circle Inspector Ravishankar Reddy of acting in a partisan manner and holding a public representative responsible for the incident while ignoring those who carried out the attack.

The YSRCP leadership criticised the police for targeting a legislator who had gone to express solidarity with an affected family, and questioned the seizure of the CCTV hard disks, asking whether the devices were taken away to suppress evidence. They demanded that the footage be preserved and released in the interest of transparency.

The leaders have demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Virupakshi and his son, the arrest of those allegedly involved in the attack on the MLA, and a high-level inquiry into the conduct of the Circle Inspector. They also urged the government to ensure the maintenance of law and order in Chippagiri.

As of this report, the Andhra Pradesh police have not issued an official response to the allegations. The claims made by the YSRCP leaders are based on their own version of events, and the circumstances surrounding the arrest are yet to be independently verified.