Jagan Condemns Arrest of Former Minister as Political Retribution
Former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy accused the current administration of weaponizing police forces to target political rivals. These allegations surfaced following a high-profile jail visit to incarcerated former Minister Seediri Appalaraju in Srikakulam.
Key takeaways
- Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy visited Seediri Appalaraju in Srikakulam District Jail to offer legal support against evidence tampering charges.
- The former CM accused the Naidu government of setting a precedent by arresting parents for the alleged accidents of their children.
- Seediri Appalaraju was arrested on July 22 following a July 10 hit-and-run incident that resulted in the death of 45-year-old Danayya.
- YSRCP leaders reported a mild lathicharge and heated exchanges with police during the visit to the Ampolu jail facility.
Confrontation at Srikakulam District Jail
Tensions escalated at the Srikakulam District Jail at Ampolu on Thursday when YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy arrived to meet former Minister Seediri Appalaraju. Although officials initially blocked the visit because the former Chief Minister arrived three hours past his scheduled time, he was eventually granted access following a heated dispute with prison authorities. Accompanying him were several party stalwarts, including Botcha Satyanarayanna and former Ministers Dharmana Prasada Rao and Dharmana Krishnadas.
During their meeting, Seediri Appalaraju informed the party leader that pressure from Telugu Desam Party (TDP) figures had driven the police to harass his family, despite his reported cooperation with investigations. YSRCP leaders simultaneously alleged that police deployed a mild lathicharge against supporters and imposed excessive restrictions on the touring party, while Sub-inspector Pravallika countered that the opposition leaders had obstructed official duties.
The Legal Conflict Behind the Arrest
The incarceration of Mr. Appalaraju follows his arrest on July 22. Authorities charged the former Minister with misleading investigators and tampering with evidence pertaining to a fatal hit-and-run incident involving his son. The underlying accident occurred on July 10, when a 45-year-old man named Danayya was killed on the Old National Highway at Kasibugga after being struck by a motorcycle allegedly operated by the former Minister's son.
Allegations of Systematic Harassment
Addressing the media after the visit, Mr. Reddy argued that the Chandrababu Naidu administration is establishing a dangerous legal precedent. $"The government has created a bad precedent of filing cases against the parents when their children are involved in accident cases,"$ he remarked. He further questioned whether TDP members faced similar criminal charges when their own family members were involved in traffic accidents.
The YSRCP president characterized the legal actions as a deliberate attempt to dismantle Mr. Appalaraju's political standing. He committed the party to providing full legal assistance to ensure the former Minister's swift release. Before reaching the facility, Mr. Reddy conducted a series of interactions with regional party cadres across Bhogapuram, Natavalasa, Pusapatirega, Ranasthalam, and Etcherla.
Source: The Hindu — National
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