*Tadepalli, Kakinada, Machilipatnam, Anatpur, April 15:* YSR Congress Party leaders across Andhra Pradesh strongly condemned the illegal arrest of State General Secretary (Media) Pudi Srihari, calling it a blatant abuse of power and a dangerous attack on democratic rights. Senior leader Kurasaala Kannababu questioned whether Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh are upholding the Constitution or running the state through extra-legal means, stating that Srihari was picked up like he was abducted by a private gang. He pointed out that the arrest was carried out by police in plain clothes in violation of Supreme Court guidelines, with no prior information given to the family and without even mentioning Srihari’s name in the FIR. He demanded immediate clarification from the DGP and asked whether the police are functioning as an independent constitutional body or as an extension of the TDP.
Former Minister Perni Nani termed the arrest as “unlawful,” stating that Srihari, a journalist-turned-political leader, was treated like a criminal without any justification. He questioned what crime warranted such extreme action and asserted that if the arrest was legitimate, it should have been done transparently through a press briefing. He slammed the government for using police machinery to target political opponents, especially in cases related to social media, and reminded that even when defamatory content was posted from locations linked to TDP in the past, no such coercive action was taken. He accused Chandrababu Naidu of orchestrating a systematic campaign of harassment, false cases, and intimidation over the past 20 months to silence those questioning his governance.
Leaders further stated that while a coordinated propaganda campaign is being run to malign former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on social media, parallel efforts are underway to file false cases and intimidate his supporters. They warned that such misuse of the police system for political vendetta is eroding institutional credibility and pushing the state towards lawlessness. Perni Nani also expressed disappointment with DGP Harish Kumar Gupta, recalling his earlier integrity and urging him to act independently rather than succumb to political pressure.
YSRCP National Spokesperson Margani Bharat also condemned the arrest, stating that it reflects the growing intolerance of the TDP government towards dissent and criticism. Several leaders including Anantapur District President Ananta Venkatarami Reddy, former minister Sake Sailajanath, and former MLAs Kethireddy Peddareddy and Kethireddy Venkatarami Reddy echoed similar concerns and demanded Srihari’s immediate release.
The party asserted that illegal arrests, fabricated cases, and intimidation tactics cannot weaken the resolve of YSRCP cadres or stop them from standing with Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, and warned the government to immediately desist from such unconstitutional practices.
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