State turned into a criminal regime targeting Opposition: Sajjala

Tadepalli, November 3:  YSRCP State Coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy criticised the ruling coalition in Andhra Pradesh for dismantling constitutional governance and replacing it with a criminalised political system. Addressing the media at the party headquarters in Tadepalli, he said that since June 2024, institutions meant to protect people’s rights have become powerless, while governance has been reduced to a mechanism to shield wrongdoers and persecute political opponents.
Sajjala asserted that the illegal arrest of former Minister Jogi Ramesh reflects the regime’s vindictive style. “The government runs on a formula: arrest first, script later. Police fabricate evidence, plant devices, force confessions, and jail opponents without trial. Officers who refuse to cooperate are sidelined, while those willing to act as political agents are elevated,” he said.
Calling the current administration a “political syndicate, not a government,” he alleged that the state is being run through fear, abuse of institutions, and fabricated cases instead of democratic values.
Highlighting the booming fake liquor mafia, Sajjala referenced the illicit factory in Tamballapalle involving a TDP candidate, noting that the main culprits remain untouched while YSRCP leaders are framed. “Over one lakh belt shops operate with impunity. Fake liquor factories run like soda units. The government even introduced QR codes, indirectly admitting the fake liquor crisis, yet it ignores belt shops and illegal permit rooms. This is state-protected organised crime,” he stressed.
He detailed what he called a scripted conspiracy around Janardhan Rao,  orchestrated return from Africa, identical clothing in airport and custody videos, and a conveniently “lost” phone in Mumbai. “FIRs aren’t based on investigation, they are political stories. Evidence is not discovered; it is manufactured,” he stated.
He also condemned systematic targeting of social media activists, citing the arrest of Savindra, where planted narcotics were alleged, and truth emerged only after High Court intervention and a CBI probe. “Youth are jailed for criticism, not crime,” he said.
Referring to the Tuni minor case, Sajjala accused the government of shielding the guilty and punishing whistleblowers. “A TDP leader commits the crime, dies suspiciously in custody, and the man who protected the girl is booked under POCSO. This exposes a moral collapse,” he said.
On the Kasibugga temple tragedy, he held the government responsible for ignoring advance warnings and failing to provide security, reminding similar failures at Tirumala and Simhachalam. “Instead of accountability, the government chose to deny responsibility and blame others.”
Sajjala accused Chandrababu Naidu and Nara Lokesh of running a personal vendetta regime guided by a “Red Book,” targeting critics with fabricated cases. “This is tyranny, not democracy. Even dictators did not dismantle institutions with such brazenness,” he remarked.
Appealing to media and civil society, he urged them to recognise the systematic erosion of democratic structures. “If this is the state after two years, imagine the next three. It is our collective duty to expose and stop this descent before it becomes irreversible,” he concluded, expressing confidence that truth and justice will prevail in cases like that of Jogi Ramesh.