Jagan condemns Alur MLA’s arrest, alleges political vendetta

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

In a post on X, referring to the arrest of Alur MLA B. Virupakshi, Mr. Jagan questioned the deployment of a large police contingent to arrest the legislator and his son, Chandrasekhar, from their residence in the early hours of Sunday. He alleged that the manner in which the arrest was carried out raised serious concerns about the rule of law in the State.

Mr. Jagan said that the episode stemmed from an attack on the residence of a YSRCP leader at Nemakallu village in Chippagiri mandal. He said the local leader had contacted Mr. Virupakshi seeking protection for his family and argued that responding to such an appeal from a party worker could not be treated as a crime.

He further alleged that TDP workers attacked the MLA when he visited the village and that the legislator’s brother, Sriramulu, sustained injuries in the incident. 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 said.

Mr. Jagan also questioned the seizure of CCTV hard disks from the MLA’s residence and alleged 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.

The former Chief Minister also alleged that 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.

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.