YSRCP leader seeks action over lathi-charge on protesting employees in Vijayawada

Anantha Venkatarami Reddy, the president of the YSR Congress Party in Anantapur district, has denounced the government's alleged harsh treatment of peaceful protesters, who are secretariat employees demanding an answer to their grievances in Vijayawada. In an interview on Monday, Reddy criticized Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for introducing the secretariat system in 2019 with the aim of delivering government welfare programs to every household.

However, he alleged that Naidu abandoned the volunteer system once he assumed office. Venkatarami Reddy pointed out that the secretariat employees have endured mental strain due to increased workload for the past two-and-a-half years. He accused higher officials from all districts of intimidating the employees when they called for a peaceful protest in Vijayawada.

Despite the intimidation, the employees proceeded with their demonstration. Reddy questioned the police's decision to use batons against peaceful protesters and their detention, including women, in police stations. Furthermore, he alleged that the process of delimiting divisions and allocating seats for SC, ST, BC, and women in Anantapur Municipal Corporation (AMC) was conducted arbitrarily.

Venkatarami Reddy noted that while the number of divisions increased from 50 to 62, the boundaries should have been drawn proportionally to the population. He expressed concern over some divisions having as few as 2,000 votes while others had 5,000.