Jagan calls for Betrayal Day on June 4, condemns alleged police brutality on three Tenali youths

Tenali: Former chief minister and YSRCP president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy has called upon the people to join in ‘Betrayal Day’ to be observed on June 4. He said that this move is targeted towards the ‘collapse of law and order in the State’ and because the government is allegedly going back on its poll promises.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday after consoling the family members of the persons who allegedly died due to police heavy-handedness, Jagan strongly condemned the police for beating up the youth in public and shaming them and their families.

What is the case about?

The three youth, Rakesh, Victor and Karimullah, hail from Mangalagiri and they were brought to Tenali and brutally beaten up in public when they allegedly questioned a constable in mufti on an earlier occasion. Rakesh works in Hyderabad and has come to attend for hearing on an old case, while Victor, who is a junior advocate and Karimullah, a mechanic, joined him.

The incidents of alleged police brutality took place on April 25 and 26. “If there are any law and order issues, the police should produce them in court, and it is for the judiciary to give the verdict. But the police have no right to sit in judgment and brutally beat the youth who belong to Dalit and minority communities. Rowdy sheets were opened only after the incident to indict them,” Jagan claimed.

The incident came to light after a month when a video of the incident went viral. Otherwise, even government doctors have given false reports about injuries to the three youth, he said.

"Even CM Chandrababu Naidu has 24 cases against him. Will the police behave in the same manner against him?” he questioned. He appealed to the people to join the protest on June 4, which is being observed as Betrayal Day.

“The 143 poll promises of TDP were not fulfilled, and all the previous welfare schemes were stopped, and all sections of people are badly affected by the governance,” he alleged.

Condemning the police high-handedness, he said that police are being used as collection agents for TDP leaders on the kickbacks from liquor, sand, mining, clubs and other such activities. Police have been indiscriminately filing false cases against YSRCP former ministers, MLAs, leaders and cadre.

The police brutality has come to light at Dachepally, Rajamahendravaram and social media activists Sudha Rani and Krishnaveni have been taken around from one police station to another and multiple cases were filed against them. Such incidents have become common, and police are implementing 'Red Book Constitution' in the State, Jagan said.