YS Jagan criticised the Andhra Pradesh government after the Supreme Court granted bail to journalist Kommineni. He called the arrest undemocratic and politically motivated. YSRCP leaders said the ruling upheld press freedom and exposed misuse of police by the ruling party
Published Date – 13 June 2025, 05:38 PM
Amaravati: YSRCP chief YS JaganMohan Reddy on Friday lashed out at the TDP-led NDA government in Andhra Pradesh after the Supreme Court granted bail to the journalist Kommineni Srinivasa Rao, calling the verdict a strong rejection of ‘political vendetta’. Rao was recently arrested by Andhra Pradesh police in Hyderabad for hosting a programme where alleged disparaging comments against the greenfield capital city of Amaravati were made.
“The Supreme Court’s remarks are a timely reminder that fundamental rights cannot be trampled by an authoritarian regime. This arrest was an insult to democracy,” said Reddy in a post on ‘X’.
The Supreme Court’s directive to immediately release senior journalist Kommineni Srinivasa Rao is a resounding slap on the face of @ncbn Garu, who has been operating in an authoritarian and undemocratic manner. The court rightly observed that the arrest was a serious violation of…
— YS Jagan Mohan Reddy (@ysjagan) June 13, 2025
The former CM noted that the judgment had not only exposed the ruling NDA government’s alleged unconstitutional actions but also reinstated public confidence in the judiciary as the protector of press freedom and civil liberties.
Reddy demanded that the State government stop orchestrating the alleged politically driven arrests and misuse of police force. He also urged that the governance must adhere to constitutional values, not party interests.
Reddy further alleged that the arrest was part of a larger conspiracy to divert attention from the alleged Amaravati (capital building)-related corruption, governance failures, and law and order issues.
Similarly, YSRCP leader and former minister S Appalaraju said the verdict exposed the government’s failure to follow legal procedure and proved that the arrest was arbitrary and unjustified.
The former minister urged the State government to end the alleged politically motivated arrests and ensure that administration is conducted within the constitutional framework laid down by B R Ambedkar.
Likewise, senior YSRCP leader and former TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy alleged that the NDA coalition government targeted a vernacular news channel to weaken Jagan Mohan Reddy and ‘launched politically driven attacks on journalists and debate hosts’. “The Supreme Court verdict is a tight slap to the government bent on destroying press freedom and suppressing voices,” said Karunakar Reddy in the press release.
The former TTD chairman further said that the Supreme Court rightly ruled that arresting debate moderators is illegal and this judgment restores public trust and upholds democratic principles.
YSRCP leader also demanded immediate arrest of those who vandalised YSRCP properties, calling them politically motivated goons acting against freedom of the press.