AP Congress vice-president Kolanukonda Shivaji. File photo: Handout
AP Congress vice-president Kolanukonda Shivaji has condemned the “escalating violence and systemic suppression of the Opposition by the NDA government in Parliament and the TDP-led coalition in the State.
In a statement on Sunday, Mr. Shivaji referred to what he alleged as targeted attacks on the Congress party offices and its members, and demanded immediate arrest of those inciting the unrest.
He said during the recent Budget session in Parliament, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi was stopped from raising critical issues regarding the Epstein files, Adani papers and the impact of bilateral Free Trade Rules on Indian farmers.
“Instead of a democratic debate, Mr. Gandhi has been met with unprecedented tactics to stifle his voice, including the silencing of his microphones and the diversion of parliamentary focus,” he said.
In the State, the political climate had shifted from “democratic disagreement to targeted hooliganism,” he said. He accused BJP State president P.V.N. Madhav of inciting an attack on the Congress headquarters in Vijayawada.
He said such violence in a democracy was unacceptable and reiterated his demand for the immediate arrest of Mr. Madhav for inciting trouble.
He warned that if the police failed to act, the party would escalate the matter by taking it to the Director General of Police (DGP) and the State Governor.
Published – February 23, 2026 09:18 am IST
