In Jagan's Andhra Pradesh, there's no room for even slightest dissent

Amaravati, Nov 3: The Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government in Andhra Pradesh has come under flak from various quarters for being the most intolerant to criticism on social media as it has booked several people in the last four years.

Individuals, including leaders and workers of the opposition parties, were booked for posting comments on social media seen as critical of the government, the Chief Minister or Ministers.

Opposition parties have slammed Jagan Mohan Reddy for being intolerant to criticism.

The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP) have accused the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) government of pursuing oppressive politics.

TDP leaders, who often described Jagan’s rule as ‘psycho rule’, have said that ever since YSRCP came to power, it misused the police and official machinery to stifle the voice of all sections of the people.

TDP supremo and former Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu had stated recently that the Jagan government was resorting to state terrorism to cover up its undemocratic, autocratic and authoritarian activities aimed at denying civil liberties and fundamental rights to the people.

“Not just the TDP leaders, any dissenting voice from the common people is also being suppressed,” he alleged.

Actor-politician Pawan Kalyan said common people and opposition cadres posting their views on various local issues on social media platforms were targeted and harassed.

The JSP leader alleged that they were targeted so badly that many have either committed suicide or have fled away from their homes.

Whether it is a social media post or a statement or a byte to news channels, the critics of the government have found themselves at the receiving end.

The classical case was that of a government doctor in Visakhapatnam who was suspended for venting his ire against the non-availability of PPE kits and face masks to medical personnel treating Covid patients during the first wave of the pandemic in 2020.

Dr Sudhakar, an anaesthesiologist, was arrested by the police for allegedly creating nuisance on the road. But police personnel had allegedly manhandled the doctor, who was seen shirtless to the waist, dragged him and bundled him into an autorickshaw.

He was shifted to King George Hospital, where doctors allegedly found him in an inebriated condition. He was subsequently referred to Government Hospital for Mental Health, where he was under treatment for acute and transient psychosis.

Later, the High Court had stepped in and directed the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to probe the alleged police excesses.

He passed away on May 21, 2021 due to cardiac arrest.

Sudhakar's family members said that he was under severe depression over his suspension.

The opposition-held Jagan Mohan Reddy government responsible for Sudhakar's death

Andhra Pradesh under YSRCP rule has also seen registration of maximum number of sedition charges. The ruling party did not spare its own rebel MP.

Andhra Pradesh accounted for the maximum number of cases in the country under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) 124A section during 2021.

According to National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB), Andhra Pradesh topped the states in sedition cases in 2021, accounting for 29 sedition cases out of total 76 registered in the country that year.

The Jagan government also came under flak for slapping sedition charges against political opponents, critics and even media organisations.

In 2021, Raghu Rama Krishna Raju, the rebel MP of the ruling party, was arrested for his remarks against the Chief Minister.

Two Telugu news channels were also booked for sedition for airing MP’s views.

The CID had registered a suo moto case against Raju, a Lok Sabha member from Narsapuram, under sections 124 (A) (sedition), 153A (Promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc., and doing acts prejudicial to maintenance of harmony), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) read with 120 B (criminal conspiracy).

According to the CID, there was information against Raju that he had been indulging in hate speeches against certain communities and promoting disaffection against the government.

Raju was arrested on May 14, 2021 from his residence in Hyderabad and shifted to the regional office of CID in Guntur on the same day

The MP, who had undergone heart bypass surgery, approached the Supreme Court alleging that he was tortured in police custody.

The state government, however, had dismissed the allegation of police torture and also defended its action of registering FIR against the MP.

Raju claimed that his right to criticise the government was part of his fundamental right to free speech.

But the state government argued that such a right cannot extend to “creating a situation where public order is disturbed”.

The Supreme Court had later granted bail to Raju, observing that the report of his medical examination indicated that he may possibly have been ill-treated in custody.

The action against the MP came after he openly criticised the government’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis and even demanded cancellation of bail granted to the Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy in a corruption case.

The MP alleged that the case was booked against him out of personal vendetta.

During the last four years, several leaders and cadres of TDP were booked for allegedly posting objectionable comments against the ruling party leaders on social media

In 2020, a CID team whisked away Nalanda Kishore, 70, in Visakhapatnam for alleged objectionable comments against YSRCP parliamentary party leader V. Vijay Sai Reddy then and state tourism minister Muthamsetty Srinivasa Rao on social media.

The same year, the CID arrested a 60-year-old woman, for allegedly posting a comment against the Jagan government in connection with leakage of toxic Styrene gas from the LG Polymers plant at Visakhapatnam.

P. Ranganayaki of Guntur had put up a status on Facebook following the  gas leak incident on May 7, 2020, which had claimed 12 lives and affected hundreds of others.

She criticised police for allowing the plant officials to go scot-free and had also questioned the delay in handing over the probe to the CBI.

A notice was served to Ranganayaki under Section 41-A of the CrPC, and a case was registered under IPC sections 505(2) (Making statements leading to public mischief), 153(A) (Promoting enmity between two groups), 188 (Disobedience to order promulgated by a public servant) and 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy), in addition to Section 67 of the IT Act. She was arrested on May 18, 2020 but was subsequently released on bail.

The woman, who claims to have no political affiliations, said she was targeted for sharing her thoughts. The incident pushed her into financial struggles as local politicians allegedly took away a 45-year-old hotel her family had been running.

The opposition parties have alleged that the Jagan government is creating fear psychosis among its critics.

TDP leaders said the CID, which usually deals with serious crimes, has been used as a tool to book cases and arrest individuals for social media posts during the last four years.

Ankababu Kollu, a senior journalist in Vijayawada, was picked up by the CID from his residence in September 2022.

The 73-year-old was booked under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including 153-A, 505(2) and 201 r/w 120-B (Criminal Conspiracy).

He was booked for forwarding a WhatsApp news alert to a group of fellow journalists about the alleged arrest of an official in Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) official for smuggling gold.

CID officials told him that he forwarded the message to tarnish the reputation of the CMO.

TDP media coordinator Darapaneni Narendra was also booked for forwarding the same message.

The CID officials took him into custody from his house in Guntur and also alleged that he destroyed the evidence by deleting the message.

Narendra said he was targeted as the same news was broadcast on news channels and reported in some newspapers but no action was taken.

In another case, M Sambasiva Rao, a freelance video editor with TDP, was picked up from his house by the CID for allegedly circulating a fake letter claimed to have been written by Y. S. Vijayamma, the Chief Minister’s mother. He alleged that he was physically tortured in custody.