VIJAYAWADA / VISAKHAPATNAM: Agriculture Minister Kinjarapu Atchannaidu on Thursday made a series of sharp and controversial remarks against YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, raising questions over past incidents and his personal conduct.
Addressing a press conference, the minister said there are ‘several doubts’ surrounding the death of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and demanded that Jagan clarify where he was on that day and why he was in another state.
He alleged that several senior leaders had earlier spoken about Jagan’s possible role behind YSR’s death and recalled that Botsa Satyanarayana had also made public comments in this regard. “We did not take those remarks seriously then, but after observing Jagan’s subsequent behaviour, the doubts have only increased,” Atchannaidu said.
Referring to the murder of YS Vivekananda Reddy, he made strong allegations, stating that Jagan had ‘brutally killed his own uncle and later used the incident for political gains.’ He demanded that answers be given to the unresolved questions surrounding the case.
The minister also targeted Jagan’s personal life, and questioned how a person who does not respect his own family could respect the people of the state. “If one cannot honour family relationships, how can they uphold responsibility towards society and governance,” he asked.
Atchannaidu said such actions have raised serious concerns among the public and reiterated that people deserve clarity and accountability on all these issues.
Botsa calls remarks diversionary politics
YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) MLC and Leader of the Opposition in the Legislative Council Botsa Satyanarayana on Thursday strongly criticised remarks made by Agriculture Minister K Atchannaidu, alleging that they were intended to divert attention from the Mavigun proposal.
Addressing a press conference at his camp office in Visakhapatnam, Botsa accused the Minister of resorting to ‘inappropriate and baseless’ comments for political purposes.
He alleged that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was attempting to divert public attention from the Mavigun (Machilipatnam-Vijayawada-Guntur) proposal put forward by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy as an alternative development corridor.
Botsa objected to references made to late chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy and cautioned against invoking his name for political purposes. He stated that he was a direct witness to the developments on the day of YSR’s death and rejected claims that Jagan Mohan Reddy was abroad at the time, terming such assertions ‘completely false.’
Recalling the events, he said he had personally been involved in coordinating with authorities during the search for YSR’s helicopter and later accompanied the process of shifting the body. He maintained that Jagan Mohan Reddy was present during that period.
During the interaction, Botsa became emotional while speaking about YSR and briefly broke down.
He further alleged that the Minister’s remarks reflected ‘diversionary politics’ aimed at avoiding a response to the Mavigun proposal. He also criticised personal remarks made in the political discourse and urged the Minister to withdraw his statements and issue an apology.
Botsa said political debates should remain focused on public issues and not descend into personal allegations. He also accused the ruling party of failing to address key concerns.