*Appalaraju arrest reflects political vendetta: YSRCP*

Tadepalli, July 22: YSRCP leaders Gadikota Srikanth Reddy and Putta Shivashankar strongly condemned the arrest of former Minister Dr. Seediri Appalaraju, calling it an undemocratic act driven by political vendetta. Addressing the media at the party’s central office in Tadepalli, they said the coalition government was targeting YSRCP leaders and workers since assuming office and was using the arrest to divert public attention from its failures in governance and law and order.

They said the case stemmed from a tragic road accident that should have been investigated under the law, but was instead converted into a political case by arresting both Appalaraju and his son. Srikanth Reddy said the government was implementing a “Red Book Constitution,” using media reports as the basis for criminal cases while targeting opposition leaders and officers. He said Dr. Appalaraju, who rose from a humble fishermen’s family to become a doctor, MLA and Minister, was being persecuted for political reasons, and assured that YSRCP would extend full legal and political support.

Putta Shivashankar said the government was fabricating cases to suppress BC leaders from North Andhra. He questioned the invocation of murder charges in a road accident, stating that similar cases involving TDP leaders had never been handled in the same manner. He also questioned the speed with which the arrest followed media reports and urged the government to end politics of vendetta and focus on the state’s development, warning that continued misuse of power would invite a strong public response.

 Meanwhile, former Ministers Gudivada Amarnath and Dharmana Prasada Rao strongly condemned the arrest of former Minister and BC leader Dr. Seediri Appalaraju, calling it an undemocratic act driven by political vendetta. They said the coalition government was neglecting public issues and instead using the police machinery to target YSRCP leaders in an attempt to divert attention from its governance failures.
The leaders said a tragic road accident had been deliberately given a political colour by invoking murder charges and arresting both Appalaraju’s son and Appalaraju, despite the former minister having no direct role in the incident. They questioned whether similar standards would be applied in cases involving ruling party leaders and their families, and expressed concern over changes in the investigation, including the transfer of the investigating officer and the addition of serious charges.
Describing Dr. Appalaraju as a respected doctor, former minister and prominent representative of the fishermen community, they said targeting him amounted to political persecution. They stressed that no one could be declared guilty before the completion of due process and that police must function according to law, not political directions.
The leaders assured Dr. Appalaraju and his family of YSRCP’s full legal and political support, saying the party would continue its democratic and legal fight against what they termed vindictive actions. They also called upon party workers to explain to the public how the legal procedure followed in this case differed from the normal process adopted in road accident cases, asserting that arrests would neither weaken the party nor silence the democratic opposition.