Jagan Takes Law And Order Failure To National Level

YSR Congress party president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, who has of late stepped up his attack on the Telugu Desam Party-led coalition government in Andhra Pradesh, has decided to escalate the latest episodes of lock-up death case and other alleged atrocities in the state to the national level.

In a statement posted on social media platform X on Saturday, Jagan alleged that the state was witnessing a collapse of the rule of law and the emergence of what he termed a “rule of fear” under the coalition’s governance.

The YSRCP chief questioned whether Andhra Pradesh had reached a stage where people feared the police more than criminals, citing a series of alleged incidents involving custodial deaths, police harassment and suicides.

Referring to the alleged custodial death of Gade Sai Krishna and the suicide of Kranti Kumar, who purportedly blamed police harassment in a selfie video before taking the extreme step, the former chief minister claimed these were not isolated incidents but part of a larger pattern of police excesses under the coalition government’s administration.

Jagan alleged that the TDP government’s much-discussed “Red Book” politics had encouraged a culture of political vendetta, leading to misuse of the police machinery.

He claimed that the YSRCP had earlier warned that using the police force to target political opponents could weaken institutions and embolden some officers to act beyond legal and constitutional safeguards.

According to Jagan, the alleged targeting initially focused on political rivals before extending to social media activists, journalists, intellectuals and other dissenting voices.

He contended that what began as political persecution had gradually evolved into unchecked policing that was affecting ordinary citizens as well.

Highlighting the Sai Krishna case, Jagan said the incident had shocked public conscience, alleging that the victim’s family was still seeking answers from authorities.

He also referred to other reported cases, including those of Kranti Kumar, Tirupathamma of Tuni, Kalavathi from Srikakulam district and Gangamma, a Dalit woman from Kurnool district, claiming that allegations of police harassment had surfaced in each case.

He argued that the recurrence of such incidents pointed to a disturbing trend rather than isolated occurrences.

The YSRCP chief further accused the police of publicly humiliating opposition activists and engaging in moral policing, while allegedly ignoring complaints lodged by YSRCP leaders and workers. Such actions, he said, had eroded public confidence in the police department.

“As per Dr. B.R. Ambedkar’s Constitution, police are meant to protect rights, uphold the law and deliver justice, not serve as instruments of political revenge,” Jagan said.

Warning that democracy itself was at risk when fear replaced justice and power superseded the law, the YSRCP president called for restoration of constitutional governance and accountability in the state’s policing system.