Tadepalli (Andhra Pradesh) [India], October 2 : YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leaders on Friday accused the Andhra Pradesh government of undermining democratic values and alleged that the ruling coalition was using what they described as a “Red Book Constitution” to suppress dissent and questioning voices in the state.
The remarks were made at the YSRCP Central Office in Tadepalli during programmes organised to mark the birth anniversaries of Mahatma Gandhi and former Prime Minister Lal Bahadur Shastri.
YSRCP leaders Kurasala Kannababu, Velampalli Srinivas, Malladi Vishnu and Lella Appireddy paid floral tributes to Gandhi and Shastri and highlighted their respective contributions to India's freedom movement and public life.
The leaders said Gandhi secured India's freedom through non-violence and alleged that the present state government was adopting an approach contrary to those ideals.
They alleged that farmers, employees, students and women raising issues before the government had faced lathi-charges and intimidation. The allegations were made by the YSRCP as part of its criticism of the ruling coalition government.
The YSRCP leaders also referred to Gandhi's concept of Gram Swaraj and alleged that programmes associated with his name were being neglected by the state government.
Targeting Education Minister Nara Lokesh, the leaders invoked the example of Lal Bahadur Shastri, who resigned as Railway Minister following a railway accident, and questioned why Lokesh continued in office amid allegations concerning the Mega DSC-2025 teacher recruitment process.
The DSC recruitment process has been the subject of protests and allegations of irregularities by the YSRCP and candidates. The Opposition has demanded a CBI inquiry and Lokesh's resignation. The state government, however, has rejected the allegations and defended the recruitment process.
In August, Lokesh told the Andhra Pradesh Assembly that the government had filled around 10,060 posts through the Mega Job Calendar, including 3,000 teacher posts, and defended the DSC process against allegations of irregularities. He also said the government would conduct the DSC examination every year.
More recently, state officials said candidates selected under the sports quota in Mega DSC-2025 had been scrutinised according to applicable recruitment rules and that action would be taken if any fraudulent certificates or eligibility violations were established through an inquiry.
The YSRCP leaders also invoked the slogan “Jai Jawan, Jai Kisan”, crediting former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy with giving practical meaning to it through initiatives including free power to farmers and Jalayagnam.
They alleged that the agricultural sector was currently facing distress and claimed that YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy continued to stand with the people and defend their rights.
The leaders said the YSRCP would continue to raise issues concerning democratic rights and uphold what they described as the ideals of Gandhi and Shastri.
The ruling coalition government and its leaders have previously rejected YSRCP's allegations of repression and political targeting, while the political confrontation between the YSRCP and the TDP-led government has continued over issues including law and order, recruitment and governance.