Naidu stifling dissent in Andhra with police power, says Jaganmohan Reddy

YSRCP chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy accused Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu of silencing dissent and misusing police powers. He alleged that opposition voices, including farmers and party workers, are being harassed, arrested, or blocked from speaking out during protests

Amaravati: YSRCP chief YS Jaganmohan Reddy on Saturday alleged that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu is stifling dissent through “blatant misuse” of police power to create a chilling atmosphere akin to a dictatorship.

Citing multiple instances connected to his visits across the state, the former Chief Minister in a post on X said, “The right to question, protest, and assemble forms the bedrock of democracy, empowering citizens to freely express their grievances and demand accountability”. “In Andhra Pradesh, however, this fundamental democratic process is being ruthlessly crushed under the weight of an authoritarian regime led by Chandrababu Naidu,” Jagan further said.

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Every attempt by the public or opposition to raise legitimate concerns is met with repression, harassment, and fabricated legal cases, leaving no room for dissent, he said.

According to the opposition leader, this alleged deliberate assault on democratic freedom is an attack on the very essence of democracy in the State. Recalling his visits to Guntur Mirchi Yard on February 19, Ramagiri on April 8, Podili on June 11, Sattenapalli on June 18 and Bangarupalyam on July 9 and the subsequent actions by the government, Reddy said the intent is clear.

He alleged that the government is intent on obscuring the systematic suppression of the opposition, public and the democratic process. During his visit to Guntur Mirchi Yard to address the denial of remunerative prices to chilli farmers, the YSRCP supremo asserted that a case was filed, followed by a similar action during his visit to Ramagiri when he went to console the family of YSRCP BC leader Kuruba Lingamaiah who was allegedly murdered by TDP followers.

Likewise, Reddy said his visit to Podili to address the lack of remunerative prices to tobacco farmers resulted in three cases, jailing of 15 farmers and four others but noted that the courts came to their rescue.

When I visited to console the family of a YSRCP leader who committed suicide due to alleged police misconduct, the state responded with 5 cases, 131 notices, and two persons being remanded for displaying a movie poster,” he said, referring to his visit to Sattenapalli (Rentapalla).

Reflecting on his most recent visit to Bangarupalyam to support mango farmers, Reddy alleged that five cases were booked and 20 people were taken into custody.

According to Reddy, these 20 people who were taken into custody were neither officially shown as arrested over the past two days nor produced in court. “In every instance, the authorities list three or four named individuals alongside vague references to ‘others,’ allowing them to arbitrarily target more people later,” he said.

During my every visit, the police are putting all their efforts to curtail the movement of the people, he said, adding that YSRCP leaders and party workers are being issued notices in advance, and in many cases, they are being detained at their homes to prevent them from joining the events.

“Even farmers are being stopped, questioned, and video recorded at multiple checkpoints. These repressive tactics, including lathi charges and restrictions on public gatherings, show the government is misusing police machinery to silence the opposition and intimidate dissent through legal harassment,” said Reddy. Naidu’s actions through fabricated cases, arrests, and media manipulation reveal a desperate attempt to cling to power by suffocating democratic expression, said the opposition leader.

Naidu is silencing the voiceless, eroding the very democratic fabric, leaving citizens with no avenue to challenge injustice or demand their rights, in spite of broken promises of misgovernance by the current regime, he added. Meanwhile, there was no immediate reaction from the TDP.