Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, senior YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader and close aide of former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, has been one of the major players in Andhra Pradesh’s politics for the past five years. Of late, however, his son Sajjala Bhargav Reddy has found himself entangled in a legal fight, with protest warrants and arrest warrants trailing behind him. In a bid to safeguard their legal rights, the father and son have approached the court seeking anticipatory bail.
Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy has played a crucial role as an advisor to the government during Jagan’s rule, while his son Bhargav Reddy has played an important role as convenor of the social media unit of YSRCP. The two being politically prominent have turned out to be central figures in the present controversy.
The crisis escalated as the actor-turned-leader of YSRCP, Posani Krishna Murali, was arrested. Under interrogation by police, Posani alleged that the offending words he spoke against political leaders like Chandrababu Naidu, Pawan Kalyan, and Nara Lokesh were penned by none other than Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy. This development prompted the father and son to move an urgent petition before the court to obtain anticipatory bail.
Posani’s statement has raised serious concerns, with Sajjala and his son arguing that they are being unfairly implicated. They maintain their innocence, asserting that there is no evidence against them beyond Posani’s confession, which they believe is politically motivated. In their petition to the Andhra Pradesh High Court, they have made it clear that their names were associated with the controversy falsely and that they are willing to assist the authorities. They also highlighted the fact that they have permanent homes in Guntur and Puliwada, emphasizing that they want to stay in the state and not escape from the proceedings.
While the Andhra Pradesh High Court considers their plea, only time will tell whether the anticipatory bail will be approved, or whether the court battle will go on to intensify in the days ahead.