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(February 22, 2024) - YS Sharmila, sister of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and a leader of the opposition YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), spent Wednesday night at the Congress party office in Vijayawada, alleging potential house arrest. This occurred following her participation in a protest organized by the Congress party on Tuesday, highlighting issues faced by unemployed youth and students in the state.
Background of the Protest:
- The Congress party held the "Chalo Secretariat" protest, demanding solutions for problems concerning unemployed youth and students in Andhra Pradesh.
- Sharmila, a prominent YSRCP leader, joined the protest and criticized the current administration led by her brother, Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy, for its alleged lack of action on these issues in the past five years.
Allegations of House Arrest:
- Sharmila claimed attempts were made to place her under house arrest for participating in the protest.
- She took to social media, stating, "If we raise our voice for the unemployed, will you resort to house arrest? Don't we have the right to protest in a democracy? Is it not shameful that as a woman, I was forced to evade the police and spend the night in the Congress party office to avoid house arrest?"
Escalation and Accusations:
- On Thursday, Sharmila further alleged that thousands of police personnel surrounded the Congress office, effectively holding them "hostage."
- She accused the YSRCP government of behaving like "dictators" and attempting to suppress their efforts to advocate for the unemployed.
- Lok Sabha MP Manickam Tagore from the Congress party echoed these sentiments, criticizing Chief Minister Reddy for exhibiting a "dictatorial attitude."
