TDP, Congress target Jagan over Sattenapalli incident; YSRCP denies charge, calls it ‘malicious political conspiracy’

NELLORE (Andhra Pradesh): Telugu Desam Party (TDP) spokesperson Uchi Bhuvaneshwari Prasad on Sunday launched a sharp attack against YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy over the recent accident in Sattenapalli, where a man was allegedly run over by a vehicle during the former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister’s convoy movement.

Prasad alleged, “Even when a man fell under his convoy vehicle, Jagan Mohan Reddy did not bother to stop the car or attempt to help the victim. This apathy is a clear reflection of his anarchic and distorted attitude.”

He claimed that YSRCP was descending into chaos, with its leaders either facing criminal cases or quitting out of frustration. “The people of the state will not tolerate such lawlessness. Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s party is resorting to chaos and disorder due to a deep sense of insecurity — either its leaders are embroiled in criminal cases and ending up in jail, or they are leaving the party out of frustration with his leadership”, he added.

An elderly man was crushed to death by a car carrying Ex CM Jagan Mohan Reddy during a rally in Sattenapalli, Andhra Pradesh.

The convoy continued through the rally and the crowd. By the time witnesses shouted, it was already too late.

It is high time we realized the dangers of… pic.twitter.com/3yFxsl76yL

— Anshul Saxena (@AskAnshul) June 22, 2025

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee chief YS Sharmila Reddy also levelled similar allegations, saying the visuals of a man named Cheeli Singaiah being crushed under a vehicle in Jagan’s convoy were “deeply disturbing and sent chills down the spine.”

“The visuals of a man named Singaiah being crushed under the vehicle of YSRCP president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy are horrifying. This incident is deeply disturbing and sends chills down the spine. How could the convoy continue moving without even pausing after a person fell under a car? Permission was granted for only 100 people, but Jagan stood atop the sideboard of his car waving to thousands. How is this acceptable? Who gave you the right to endanger the lives of the public? Just because someone lost a betting game and died by suicide, will you offer two more lives at the altar of a statue unveiling?” she asked, questioning the Chandrababu Naidu-led government for the mismanagement at the event.

“What kind of politics is this? What kind of demonic joy is this? Are you playing politics over the lives of the people? Is it proper for a political leader to move in a convoy while standing on the sideboard of a car? This incident is a reflection of Jagan Mohan Reddy’s utter irresponsibility. Jagan’s show of strength directly led to Singayya’s death. The coalition government must take responsibility for allowing thousands to gather despite permission for only 100 people. When such a massive unauthorised gathering was taking place, how did the police cooperate? Why did they become mere spectators? Why did the intelligence system fall asleep? When the Congress party fights for people’s issues, we face all kinds of restrictions. Congress protests and demonstrations are met with house arrests. Our hunger strikes are broken, our rallies are crushed, and our voices are suppressed,” she said.

Meanwhile, YSRCP denied the allegations, saying the vehicle was not part of Jagan’s convoy. “YSRCP condemns malicious political conspiracy over Palnadu Accident Tadepalli, June 22: The YSR Congress Party strongly condemns the ongoing political conspiracy by the TDP coalition in Andhra Pradesh, which continues to resort to diversionary tactics, sensationalism, and smear campaigns instead of focusing on governance and public welfare. Every day, new political distractions are being manufactured to deflect attention from the government’s failure to address real issues concerning the people. A consistent target of this malicious campaign is YSR Congress Party president and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy”, it said in a post on X.

“Unable to digest the massive public response during his district tours, the ruling alliance has turned vindictive, harassing YSRCP leaders, filing false cases, and now even politicising tragic accidents. One such incident is the unfortunate accidental death of Shri Cheeli Singayya during YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s recent Palnadu tour. Instead of treating the matter with the sensitivity it deserves, the ruling coalition is attempting to exploit it for political gain. In a deeply disturbing pattern, they are spreading false narratives and reviving the incident days later by selectively circulating false narrations,” the YSRCP said.

The party clarified, citing the Guntur District Superintendent of Police, that the vehicle involved in the accident was a private vehicle and not part of Jagan Mohan Reddy’s official convoy.

“Upon receiving news of the accident, Prathipadu YSRCP in-charge Kiran Kumar immediately rushed to the hospital and remained with the bereaved family until the postmortem was completed, offering them full support. Later that day, senior leader, former minister and Guntur District President Ambati Rambabu personally visited the family and extended heartfelt condolences. The following day, senior party leaders from the district, including Kommu Kanakaraju, visited the family again and handed over a financial assistance cheque of Rs 10 lakh as a mark of support,” it said.

“Meanwhile, the District Superintendent of Police clearly stated that the vehicle involved in the accident was a private vehicle, not part of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s convoy. The driver and owner were identified and interrogated, confirming that the accident had no connection with the convoy itself. Despite these facts, four days after the incident, the ruling coalition irresponsibly released a video to falsely blame YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. In the viral video circulated today, it is clearly visible that there was a large crowd surrounding the convoy, and YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had no knowledge that the accident had occurred,” the party said.

The YSRCP also alleged a deliberate compromise in security arrangements for the Z+ protectee. “For a Z+ security protectee, a rope party and road clearance team must lead the convoy. However, the current government has failed to provide adequate security, resulting in repeated lapses. This is not an isolated instance. Similar security failures were observed during YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tours in Rapthadu and Podili. The coalition government has deliberately compromised on his security, while its allies are using these very lapses to orchestrate a character assassination campaign against him. It is not just insensitive, but a deliberate and dangerous political design.” it said.

The party demanded a transparent and impartial investigation into the accident and the alleged security lapses, adding,” The YSR Congress Party reiterates that human tragedy must never be used as a political weapon. We demand a transparent and impartial investigation into both the accident and the security lapses that continue to put the life of a Z+ protectee at risk.”

“We also urge the state government to immediately rectify these lapses and stop using such incidents to settle political scores. The YSR Congress Party stands for truth, compassion, and responsible politics, values we will continue to uphold, no matter the provocation. We also strongly condemn the deliberate attempts to tarnish the image and orchestrate a character assassination of YS Jagan Mohan Reddy by misusing a deeply unfortunate accident for political gain,” it said. (ANI)