YSRCP chief Jagan accuses Andhra govt of ‘hushing up’ Guntur stripping atrocity

YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy accused the Andhra Pradesh government of suppressing the July 15 Guntur atrocity, where a TDP leader and his family allegedly stripped and assaulted a woman. He claimed police acted only after the video went viral, sparking outrage.

Amaravati: YSRCP supremo YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on Saturday accused the Andhra Pradesh government of “hushing up” the alleged stripping and attack on a Guntur woman by a TDP leader and his family members and claimed that action was taken after the video of the atrocity went viral, triggering widespread public outrage.

On July 15, a TDP leader, Mallela Venkata Ramana Murthy (45), and eight of his family members allegedly attacked Nageshwar Rao’s family and stripped his wife in the middle of a road in Guntur’s Nagarampalem area. Police said the dispute arose after Rao denied a bribe of Rs 10,000 allegedly demanded by Murthy, a local TDP ward secretary.

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“What is even more disturbing is that although the incident occurred on Wednesday (July 15), it was allegedly kept under wraps for nearly three days. It was only after videos of the assault surfaced on social media and triggered widespread public outrage that the government suddenly began projecting itself as taking swift action,” reddy said in a post on X.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday said he was “deeply disturbed by the incident reported from Guntur.”

“The humiliation of any woman is completely unacceptable and has no place in our society. I have ordered immediate and stringent action. A criminal case has been registered, the accused has been arrested, and the party functionary involved is being suspended,” said Naidu in a post on X.

My government’s commitment is unequivocal: the law will be enforced “fairly and firmly, without fear or favour,” he asserted.

“No individual will receive protection on account of political affiliation. Every woman in Andhra Pradesh must have the confidence that her dignity and safety will always be protected,” Naidu added.

Further, IT Minister and TDP working president Nara Lokesh said he issued directions for the TDP functionary (Murthy) involved in the stripping and attack case to be suspended from all party posts.

However, Reddy called the government’s response an attempt to “claim credit” after allegedly trying to suppress the incident and termed it deeply shameful. Police apprehended Murthy and eight of his family members on the night of July 17.

Asserting that the Chandrababu Naidu-led government should hang its head in shame over this incident, the opposition leader claimed that it was not just a stain on humanity but also a “shocking reflection of the complete collapse of law and order in the state.”

“Had the police acted promptly when the victim first approached them and lodged a complaint immediately after the initial assault on Wednesday, this horrific crime could have been prevented,” he said.

If the complaint was registered without alleged delay, the accused was detained, and the victim was given protection, would this brutal incident have occurred, asked Jagan.

The government shunted out the local inspector, Y Satyanarayana, into a vacancy reserve (VR) role for the delay in arresting the accused.

“Instead of standing by the victim, why was there silence? What is the purpose of police stations if not to protect victims and uphold the law? Are they meant to serve justice or merely carry out the wishes of those in the ruling party? Why was there an attempt to settle the matter instead of taking legal action?” asked Jagan.

Further, he questioned if the law will “wake up only after videos go viral” and wondered if a victim’s “complaint had no value unless public outrage forces the authorities to act?”

Failing to respond when the crime was unfolding and then staging a show of action only after public anger erupted cannot be called policing, Jagan claimed.

According to the former CM, Naidu’s government has allegedly encouraged attacks on opposition leaders, party workers, and social media activists.

Instead of acting as an impartial institution, the police system has been reduced to a political weapon to shield those in power, he alleged.

“The law has been selectively used to protect ruling party leaders while harassing opposition members and victims through intimidation and questionable criminal cases. This has pushed the state towards a dangerous breakdown of the rule of law,” said Jagan.

This environment has created a sense of impunity among ruling party leaders at every level, from villages and wards to towns and cities, he alleged, observing that they appear to believe that no matter what they do, the “police will protect them.”

As a result, some leaders have become emboldened to commit increasingly serious acts of violence and humiliation, particularly against women, believing they will face no consequences because they enjoy political patronage, he alleged.

This has severely undermined women’s safety across the state and forced many women to fear those who are supposed to uphold the law, Jagan claimed.

“Chandrababu Naidu, is this the women’s safety your government claims to provide? Is this your model of good governance? Is this what you call policing? The growing anger of women across the state will ultimately hold your government accountable,” Reddy said.

However, during a public meeting in Gudivada in Krishna district today, Naidu said Murthy was immediately suspended from the party and arrested.

Moreover, the CM asserted that he will not spare anyone committing mistakes, whether someone is from a different party or the TDP.