Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan has sharply retorted to YS Jagan Reddy's remarks calling police officers 'mafia.' He termed it an accusation of dictatorial rule and stated that action is now being taken against those very officers.
Pawan Kalyan or Jagan Mohan Reddy: A storm of statements has once again erupted in Andhra Pradesh politics. Former Chief Minister of the state and YSR Congress Party chief, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, branded police officers as 'mafia dons,' prompting a sharp response from Deputy Chief Minister and Janasena chief, Pawan Kalyan, who said, "His statements now only make me laugh." This debate has heated up state politics and sparked new discussions among the public.
The Beginning of the Controversy: 'Mafia Don' DIGs Statement
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, while addressing a public gathering recently, claimed that all DIGs (Deputy Inspectors General of Police) in the state are acting like mafia dons in their respective regions. He said that these officers are acting as 'collection agents' for Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh. Jagan further alleged that the money collected from liquor, sand, clubs, mines, and industries is divided into two parts – half goes to the police and local MLAs, and the other half goes to the Chief Minister and his son.
Pawan Kalyan's Strong Response
Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan not only expressed displeasure at these allegations by Jagan Reddy but also said in a satirical manner, "Whenever he makes such statements, it makes me laugh. Because this is the same person who himself ran a dictatorial regime. Now he is trying to portray himself as pure."
Pawan Kalyan alleged that Jagan had used the police system like a mafia during his previous tenure. He said, "The officers who have been sent to jail today or who have been in jail before – they are the same ones who ran the government in a mafia style earlier. Now that action is being taken against them, he is portraying himself as a victim."
Past Government Called a 'Dictatorial Regime'
Pawan Kalyan directly labeled Jagan Mohan Reddy's previous YSRCP government as a 'dictatorial regime.' He said that during that time, opposition leaders, workers, and even ordinary citizens were subjected to atrocities. He said, "I myself was a victim of that time. Even Chandrababu Naidu was a victim of that regime. Today, 70-80 percent of the members of the Legislative Assembly have been affected in some way or the other by the atrocities of that old regime."
Action on Police Officers: Strictness in Response
Pawan Kalyan clarified that the current coalition government is now taking action against those police officers who had earlier disregarded the law for political gain. He said that those who are being tightened the noose on today are the same ones who had crushed the dignity of democracy at that time. "We have spared no one. Action is being taken within the framework of the law."
Issue of Illegal Liquor and Sand: Who is Right?
Jagan Reddy also claimed that illegal liquor shops (belt shops) are running under the nose of the current government, and sand is being sold at double the price while showing it as 'free.' He alleged that while the YSRCP government earned an annual revenue of ₹750 crore from sand, now there is looting of sand. In its official response, the government has said that 'the policy of giving sand for free is to provide relief to the public, but if any irregularities are happening anywhere, immediate action will be taken on it.'
