A Jana Sena party (JSP) worker was arrested by the Mangalagiri police on Monday following complaints over a social media post criticising Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy. Vasa Srinivasa Rao from Bethampudi, Guntur district was arrested for posting a 9-minute video on YouTube. “He has abused and disrespected the Chief Minister and the Irrigation Minister in the video. Around 16 people have lodged a complaint,” Mangalagiri Circle Inspector said.
The Janasena Political Affairs Committee (PAC) chairman Nadendla Manohar has condemned the arrest, calling it a case of political vendetta. In a statement issued on Monday, the PAC called the action “a threat to the democratic right to freedom of speech.” Manohar also insinuated that the police were showing bias, since they hadn’t yet responded to complaints filed by Janasena party workers in August against the YSRCP social media wing’s posts on JSP chief Pawan Kalyan.
Demanding that Srinivasa Rao must be released immediately, the statement warned that the PAC would organise protests in front of police stations if such arrests continued.
Earlier in August, Andhra Pradesh police arrested a man called Sekhar Chowdhary for making a video that was circulating on social media, for criticising the YSRCP-led state government for failing to handle the floods properly. Police had also arrested three other men for aiding Chowdhury in making the video. The video also reportedly contained derogatory language against CM Jagan and Irrigation Minister Anil Kumar Yadav.
Chowdhury was found to be a professional actor who had earlier appeared in the Telugu Desam Party’s campaign videos. He was arrested based on a complaint made by Devendra Reddy, digital media director of the Andhra Pradesh government, to DGP Gautam Sawang.
The Jana Sena PAC in its statement also suggested Jana Sainiks, or Jana Sena party workers to “take precautionary measures before making such criticism in future.”