State turned is under 'criminal regime’: Sajjala

Tadepalli: YSRCP state coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy on Monday criticised the ruling coalition, alleging that governance in the state had become what he described as a “criminalised political regime.” Speaking at the party headquarters here, he said that institutions meant to safeguard rights and democratic processes have weakened since June 2024.

Ramakrishna Reddy cited the arrest of former minister Jogi Ramesh as an instance of what he called politically motivated action. He claimed the government was using law enforcement agencies to target opposition leaders while protecting those aligned with it. According to him, “arrests are being made first, while evidence is arranged later,” and police officials unwilling to cooperate are sidelined.

He also alleged large-scale illegal liquor operations in the state, referring to the Tamballapalle case and claiming that unauthorised liquor units and belt shops were operating with official protection. He said the government’s introduction of QR codes for liquor did not address the core issue and accused the administration of shielding those involved.

Referring to several cases including those of spurious liquor case accused A Janardhan Rao, social media activist Savindra and the Tuni minor case, Ramakrishna Reddy alleged that fabricated evidence and misuse of criminal laws were being used to harass critics and political opponents. He also held the government responsible for the Kasibugga temple stampede, stating that advance warnings were ignored.

The YSRCP leader accused Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh of running a governance model driven by political vendetta. He appealed to the media and civil society to “protect democratic values” and warned that the situation could deteriorate further if not addressed.