- Political tension rose in Andhra Pradesh with alleged TDP attacks on the houses of YSRCP leaders
- YSRCP leader Ambati Rambabu's house was attacked; he was later arrested and sent to custody
- Jogi Ramesh's house was vandalised and set on fire while his family was inside
Political tension has escalated in Andhra Pradesh as the supporters of the ruling Telugu Desam Party or TDP allegedly attacked the residences of senior YSR Congress Party or YSRCP leaders over the weekend.
On Saturday, the house of former minister and YSRCP leader Ambati Rambabu was attacked in Guntur. It was followed by his late-night arrest.
On Sunday, a large group of alleged TDP workers stormed the house of former minister and YSRCP leader Jogi Ramesh in Ibrahimpatnam (NTR district), vandalised it and set it on fire.
At the time, Ramesh was away in Tirupati, but his wife and father were inside and were later rescued by the police. Additional forces were rushed to the scene to prevent further unrest.
Both Ambati Rambabu and Jogi Ramesh are facing protests for allegedly making derogatory and abusive comments against Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh.
Ambati Rambabu was arrested over the remarks against the Chief Minister and sent to judicial custody on Sunday.
YSRCP leaders have strongly condemned the incidents, accusing the state government and the TDP of using political violence to curb any opposition.
YSRCP chief and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has described the attacks as signs of "jungle raj" and a breakdown of democratic norms. He said violence would not silence the opposition and warned that such tactics could backfire politically.
Jogi Ramesh alleged that the assaults were part of a deliberate attempt to intimidate him and other critics of the government. The attackers, he claimed, even used petrol bombs and questioned whether political dissent had become a crime in the state.
The YSRCP has demanded strict action against those responsible and accused the police of being slow to intervene.
The TDP leadership, including the Chief Minister, has denied any state sponsorship of the violence and urged all parties to respect the law and order.
Naidu has issued stern warning that political expression must remain within legal limits and accused the YSRCP of turning politics into lawlessness.
Objectionable comments by Opposition leaders have triggered reactions from party workers, he claimed.
