YS Jagan Hits Out at 'Police Raj' in AP After Midnight Arrest of YSRCP MLA

YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy has accused the N. Chandrababu Naidu-led government of turning Andhra Pradesh into a " police state," alleging that law enforcement agencies are being used to target political opponents through fabricated cases and midnight arrests. In a strongly worded statement posted on X, Jagan questioned whether the state was being governed under the Constitution or through what he described as " Jungle Raj."

The former Chief Minister's remarks came in the wake of the midnight arrest of Alur MLA B. Virupakshi and his son Chandrasekhar, which has sparked a fresh political confrontation between the ruling coalition and the opposition. Jagan alleged that police personnel forcibly entered the legislator's residence by breaking open the doors and took the father and son into custody at around 2:45 a.m. He questioned the deployment of a large police force to arrest a democratically elected representative, asking whether the MLA was being treated like a terrorist.

According to Jagan, the controversy began in Nemakallu village of Chippagiri mandal, where TDP workers allegedly attacked the residence of a YSRCP functionary. He claimed that Virupakshi had only visited the village to stand by the victim, but was instead attacked with stones, leaving his brother Sriramulu injured. Despite this, Jagan alleged, police booked the MLA and YSRCP workers under attempt-to-murder charges, while those responsible for the violence were allowed to go free. He further accused the police of seizing CCTV hard disks from the MLA's residence in an attempt to suppress evidence related to the incident.

Calling the Alur episode part of a wider pattern, Jagan alleged that the state government was pursuing politics of vendetta against opposition leaders across Andhra Pradesh. He referred to the arrest of former minister Seediri Appalaraju, claiming that a road accident in Srikakulam district had been converted into a murder case due to political motives. He also alleged that videos recorded during his visit to Appalaraju's family were distorted before serious charges were filed against Chintada Ravikumar and several other YSRCP leaders.

Jagan also questioned the kidnapping case registered against former Guntur East MLA Sheikh Mohammed Mustafa and his son. He argued that the case lacked credibility, claiming the individual involved in a business dispute and the trucks linked to the matter had already been handed over to the police before the kidnapping complaint was filed. According to him, the action was politically motivated because the leaders belonged to the YSRCP.

The YSRCP chief further alleged that the government was attempting to divert public attention from pressing governance issues through arrests and criminal cases. He questioned why there had been no CBI probe into the alleged DSC-2025 recruitment irregularities, why Education Minister Nara Lokesh had not resigned over the controversy, and when the pending ₹9,500 crore under the Vidya Deevena and Vasathi Deevena schemes would be released. He also asked what had happened to the government's promise of providing an unemployment allowance to youth.

Asserting that political power is never permanent, Jagan said the YSR Congress Party would not be intimidated by police action or fabricated cases. He maintained that the party would continue to fight for those it believes have been unfairly targeted and would keep raising issues related to governance, democratic rights and the rule of law in Andhra Pradesh.