Former CM accuses coalition of targeting opponents, cites incidents at jailed MLA's home
Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Thursday accused the ruling coalition led by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of allowing law and order to deteriorate while pursuing what he described as "vindictive politics" that will lead to future regret.
Speaking to the media after visiting jailed YSRCP MLA Virupakshi at the Panchalingala prison, Mr Jagan alleged that the coalition routinely named victims as accused and filed false cases to suppress political opponents. He said the government had specifically targeted Backward Classes (BCs), whom he identified as a core support base of the YSRCP.
“False cases were brought against Virupakshi, with 38 people including the MLA, his family, and followers accused in fabricated cases under what Jagan described as the ‘Red Book constitution’.”
According to Mr Jagan, police personnel had forcibly entered the MLA’s residence, destroyed CCTV cameras, and arrested Virupakshi during a nocturnal operation. He further alleged that serious charges were lodged against the MLA and several associates.
He accused TDP workers of tearing the robes of Virupakshi’s wife and said the incident was used to prompt police to register a case under Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe (Prevention of Atrocities) laws. Mr Jagan also claimed that when evidence of an attack on a YSRCP cadre’s house was produced, the police declined to register a complaint.
The former Chief Minister described an episode in which the MLA allegedly intervened to protect his supporters after what Mr Jagan said was police inaction during an assault on a party worker named Hari. He said TDP cadres had allegedly attacked the vehicle carrying Hari and that Virupakshi’s brother sustained serious injuries in the incident.
Mr Jagan listed other cases that he said exemplified a pattern of harassment of BC leaders. He named:
- Seridi Apparaju — arrested in a road accident case that was, he alleged, escalated with serious charges;
- Mustafa — taken into custody in a tobacco deal case that, Mr Jagan said, was converted into a kidnapping charge;
- Chinthada Ravi — arrested for allegedly assaulting a woman sub‑inspector while managing a mob, according to Mr Jagan.
He characterised these arrests as politically motivated attempts to harass opponents through false cases.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Location of jail visit | Panchalingala |
| MLA visited | Virupakshi (YSRCP) |
| Number of people accused in cases referred to | 38 (including MLA, family and followers) |
Allegations framed as political suppression
Mr Jagan’s remarks framed the recent arrests and complaints involving YSRCP workers and BC leaders as part of a broader pattern. He argued the ruling coalition was misusing law-enforcement mechanisms to intimidate opposition figures and suppress dissent.
He accused local police of selective action, alleging refusal to register complaints when YSRCP supporters were attacked while exhibiting promptness in filing cases against his party’s leaders. The former Chief Minister also asserted that evidence presented regarding attacks on party workers was ignored by the police.
Legal and political implications
The allegations, if substantiated, would raise concerns about impartial policing and the use of criminal law for political ends. Mr Jagan used his visit to a jailed legislator to advance these claims, emphasising perceived injustices faced by BC leaders.
The source material contains Mr Jagan’s account of events and names of several individuals he said had been arrested or charged. No official response from the TDP, the coalition government, or police authorities was contained in the report.
Political leaders’ public statements about arrests and investigations commonly prompt demands for independent inquiries or court review. In such cases, police records, FIRs and court filings are the primary documents that determine the legal trajectory; the present report does not cite those documents.
What happens next
Allegations of politically motivated arrests typically lead to competing claims from ruling and opposition parties, and sometimes to legal petitions seeking quashing of FIRs or bail. Observers will look to statements from the state government and the police, as well as any subsequent judicial action, to corroborate or refute the assertions made by Mr Jagan.
For now, the charges remain the subject of political contention, with the former Chief Minister urging attention to what he described as a deterioration of law and order under the ruling coalition.
