Amaravati: Day after he was booked by police over the death of a man during his recent rally in Guntur district, former Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday slammed Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for what he called lowering the standards of politics in the state.
The YSR Congress Party President referred to the Guntur Superintendent of Police’s initial statement on the incident and asked why the narrative was later changed and politicised.
He accused the ruling coalition of using the tragic incident as a distraction from their governance failures. Jagan Mohan Reddy said that he had only held a press conference to expose the unfulfilled promises, corruption, and financial damage done by the current regime, and instead of responding with accountability, they launched diversionary tactics.
The former chief minister took to X on Monday to react to the registration of a case against him, his aides and some YSRCP leaders in connection with the death of a person during his rally on June 18.
Guntur District Superintendent of Police S. Satish Kumar told the media on Sunday night that Cheeli Singaiah (65) died after being run over by Jagan Mohan Reddy’s vehicle.
The incident had occurred on the National Highway at Etukuru village in Guntur district when Jagan Mohan Reddy was organising a rally from Tadepalli in Guntur district to Sattenapalli in Palnadu district
The police officer said that after they analysed CCTV footage, drone visuals, video footage and circumstantial witnesses about the incident, it was found that the deceased was seen under the wheels of Jagan Mohan Reddy’s vehicle. After watching these visuals, they altered the sections to BNS 105 (culpable homicide not amounting to murder) and 49 (abetment).
The case has been registered against Jagan Mohan Reddy, car driver Ramana Reddy, Personal Assistant Nageswar Reddy, MP Y. V. Subba Reddy, former ministers Perni Nani and Vidadala Rajini, who were all travelling in the vehicle.
In his detailed statement posted on X, Jagan Mohan Reddy raised a series of pointed questions regarding the deliberate restrictions placed on his recent tour to Rentapalla in the Sattenapalli constituency.
He questioned why opposition leaders like him are being stopped from visiting their own party workers or expressing solidarity with farmers and citizens. He reminded Chandrababu that neither he nor Pawan Kalyan ever faced such restrictions during their past tours when YSRCP was in power. He said this political vendetta now threatens not just democracy but basic decency. (IANS)
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