Tadepalli, July 11: Former Minister and YSRCP Krishna District President Perni Venkataramaiah (Nani) said Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu cannot suppress voices questioning his government's failures, no matter how many task forces or cabinet sub-committees he constitutes. Addressing the media at the YSRCP central office in Tadepalli, he said the coalition government has abandoned governance and public welfare, turning the Cabinet into a platform for political vendetta and the suppression of social media.
Nani questioned why the Cabinet was discussing social media instead of issues affecting people's lives, including unfulfilled election promises, mounting public debt, farmers' distress, unemployment, women's safety, and the Amaravati project. He said the government, which has failed to deliver on the Super Six promises in two years, is attempting to divert public attention by portraying social media as a law-and-order issue.
He said the Telugu Desam Party itself is the birthplace of organized social media abuse. According to Nani, Chandrababu Naidu institutionalized digital propaganda through ITDP, building hundreds of YouTube channels and thousands of social media accounts to spread false narratives, morphed content, and personal attacks against political opponents and their families. Despite controlling a vast section of the mainstream media and social media ecosystem, the government is now attempting to silence independent voices that expose corruption, broken promises, and police excesses.
Nani said those who support the ruling party are rewarded with influence and government positions, while those who question the government face criminal cases, midnight arrests, and police harassment. He said social media has become the only platform where people can expose the government's failures, which explains the present crackdown.
Referring to the Vijayawada Sai Krishna custodial death, Nani said the government's priority is not answering questions about custodial deaths, police excesses, or public grievances, but restoring confidence within a demoralized police force by encouraging fresh action against YSRCP workers. He questioned why authorities failed to arrest Sai Krishna despite non-bailable warrants, why he was granted default bail earlier, and why no accountability has been fixed for his custodial death.
Nani also criticized the government's proposal to create a special task force on social media, saying the objective is not to curb abusive content but to facilitate more false cases against political opponents. He cited the example of actor Posani Krishna Murali, who has been forced to face 17 criminal cases, and said similar tactics are being used against YSRCP supporters across the State. He added that even new laws and task forces cannot stop people from exposing the government's failures.
Clarifying the party's stand on YouTuber Ravan, Nani said he has no connection whatsoever with YSRCP and has repeatedly criticized Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy in the past. He questioned why the government invoked the UAPA against him and urged it to introspect on the misuse of stringent laws. Nani concluded that the coalition government has nothing to showcase after two years in office and has therefore resorted to diversionary politics, police intimidation, and attempts to silence democratic dissent instead of addressing the people's problems.
*YS Jagan asks Party legislators to highlight govt. failures*
