*YS Jagan to Console Fishermen’s Families Tomorrow*

Vishakapatnam, July 13: Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Botsa Satyanarayana announced that YSRCP President and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy will visit Visakhapatnam on July 14 to console the families of the fishermen who went missing after venturing into the sea from the Visakhapatnam Fishing Harbour. Addressing the media at the YSRCP office in Visakhapatnam on July 13, 2026, he said Y.S. Jagan’s visit is intended to stand with the grieving families, offer them courage, and convey the solidarity of the entire YSRCP.

Botsa said that from the day of the tragedy, YSRCP leaders have remained with the affected fishermen’s families, while the coalition government failed to respond like a responsible administration. The families themselves believe that if the Coast Guard and other authorities had responded immediately after the accident, more fishermen could have been rescued alive. Since the missing fishermen were the sole breadwinners of their families, the government must extend the highest possible financial assistance to the victims, he said.

He stated that YSRCP is also working towards proposing a permanent safety mechanism to protect fishermen and prevent such tragedies in the future. Botsa expressed disappointment that even a humanitarian visit to console bereaved families is being politicised by the coalition government, saying it has shown neither compassion nor concern for the victims.

Referring to the political atmosphere in the State, Botsa said that during Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tenure, the government exercised restraint despite severe criticism from the opposition. In contrast, he said, the present government is sending people to jail even for minor remarks and treating dissent as if it were a crime against the nation. He asserted that democracy requires tolerance and respect for the rule of law. Providing legal assistance to those seeking justice is not wrong, he said, adding that the government must act strictly according to law rather than taking the law into its own hands.