Amaravati, April 15: Police have arrested Pudi Srihari, the media wing general secretary of the YSR Congress Party, over an alleged social media post targeting Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Srihari, who previously served as the chief public relations officer for former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, was taken into custody from his residence in Vijayawada on Wednesday morning. Reports indicate that authorities seized his mobile phone and laptop during the arrest.
The case against Srihari stems from a cartoon he posted, which depicted a knife in the hands of Chief Minister Naidu. This has led to accusations of inciting violence. YSR Congress leaders, including former minister Ambati Rambabu, condemned the arrest, labeling it as illegal. Rambabu claimed that the Chittoor 2 Town Circle Inspector forcibly took Srihari to the Kuppam police station.
In response to the arrest, the legal wing of YSR Congress stated that the “Red Book Constitution” has once again revealed its toxic nature in the state. The term refers to a red book carried by TDP leader Nara Lokesh during the 2024 election campaign, which allegedly lists individuals who have harassed TDP leaders and workers during YSR Congress rule.
The party’s legal team announced plans to initiate legal action against Circle Inspector Netti Kanteyya and has sought intervention from the High Court.
Meanwhile, Tirupati MP Dr. M. Gurumurthy strongly criticized Srihari’s “illegal arrest,” alleging that police unlawfully confiscated his mobile phone and laptop during the operation.
Gurumurthy stated, “The ruling TDP is mocking democracy by implementing the ‘Red Book Constitution’ to file illegal and false cases against YSR Congress officials and leaders in Andhra Pradesh. Srihari’s arrest is a clear indication of how desperate the ruling TDP is to divert public attention from former Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy’s scheduled visit to the fishing port in Nellore district.”
He added, “YSR Congress will not be intimidated by such false cases and illegal arrests. We will seek justice and expose the undemocratic practices of the ruling coalition through the judiciary.”
Leave a Comment