VIJAYAWADA: YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and YSRC party president has filed a writ petition in the Andhra Pradesh High Court on Monday, challenging the State government reducing security cover to him. The petition is likely to come up for a hearing on Wednesday.
In his petition, the former chief minister alleged the present coalition government in the State wants to end him and reduced security cover to him for that reason alone without considering threat to his life. It was a unilateral decision taken without any prior notice, he added.
Jagan urged the High Court to restore the security he had previously (till June 3, 2024) and also issue orders for allowing personal security officers, counter-assault teams, and signal-jammers. Emphasising the importance of the security cover that was provided to him during his tenure as Chief Minister, Jagan highlighted that it was crucial for his safety given the sensitive nature of his position and the ongoing political environment. The reduction in his security personnel and cover has raised significant concerns about his safety.
He mentioned in the petition that his security was reduced to 59 without any prior intimation surprisingly within a month after the general election results on June 4, 2024. No notice was sent regarding the reduction of security in violation of all principles of natural justice, he claimed. He stated that there was no lawful justification for downgrading of security limited to the following personnel, as of today.
It is interesting to note that while the category of protection has not been downgraded from the highest protection category of Z+, the number of personnel around him has been reduced drastically. It may be submitted here that though the number of security provided to me sounds like a lot of personnel, in reality only 2 personal officers guard him at any given point in time, he explained.
Jagan further said that heads of the government have even ignored the breach of his security, and accused police of intentionally ignoring the safety of his and his party cadre, at a time when organised attacks against YSRC members and properties are reported often and recalled his protest on the same in Delhi.
“They want to end me physically. There was a conversation among senior TDP members in this regard, which was widely circulated in the media. Narsipatnam MLA and Speaker Ayanna Patrudu had commented that I was defeated only in the election but is still living. They had even said that I should be beaten till I am dead,” he claimed in his petition.
Jagan also pointed out that security officers with him were less than what MLAs could have. Drawing a parallel to having 11 guards previously at his residence, he said that there were only two today and pointed out an almost defunct bulletproof car given to him, forcing him cut short his visits on several occasions. When permission to use the personal bulletproof car was sought, it was denied, he said.