In a big breakthrough, the police have filed a case against YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader and ex-Mangalagiri MLA Alla Ramakrishna Reddy. The case pertains to the 2021–22 Mangalagiri attack on the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) central office — an event which had generated political furore then.
The probe, which was initiated by the Crime Investigation Department (CID), has gained momentum after the change in government. As part of the continuing investigation into a chain of politically charged events that happened under the earlier YSRCP regime, Alla Ramakrishna Reddy has now been identified as the 127th accused (A-127) in the case. CID sources say that he is expected to be served with a formal notice shortly and may be brought in for interrogation in the next few days.
The assault, carried out during the reign of the YSRCP, was a brutal act of vandalism at the TDP headquarters. Demonstrators allegedly broke windows and wrecked office furniture. Although the event lost public interest as the years passed by, it has recently become a point of focus again under the existing coalition-based government.
12 YSRCP workers so far have been arrested in connection with the case and are held judicial custody. Some other leaders like MLCs and ex-ministers have already been interrogated. Interestingly, the CID has recently interrogated veteran YSRCP leader and former government advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, in addition to party youth leader Devineni Avinash.
With Alla Ramakrishna Reddy — one of the key leaders from the very constituency where the incident occurred — now officially named in the case, political analysts are paying close attention to how he reacts to these charges. His response is likely to be politically influential within the party and with respect to the investigation going forward.
As the investigation goes on, the case will likely continue to be a politically sensitive matter in Andhra Pradesh’s changing environment.