The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) on Sunday strongly condemned the arrest of Alur MLA Virupakshi and his son Chandrasekhar, alleging that the police action reflected the “authoritarian attitude” of the State government.
In a statement, YSRCP leaders S.V. Mohan Reddy, MLC A. Madhusudhan, B.Y. Ramaiah and Katasani Ram Bhupal Reddy alleged that a large contingent of police personnel arrived at the legislator’s residence at Chippagiri in Kurnool district at around 2.45 a.m. and forcibly entered the house after breaking open the doors.
The leaders said Mr. Virupakshi had gone to Sangala village in Chippagiri mandal to console the family of YSRCP leader Giri, whose house was allegedly attacked by TDP leader Nagaraju and his supporters. They alleged that TDP activists pelted stones at the MLA during the visit, injuring his brother, Sriramudu.
According to the YSRCP leaders, although a complaint had been lodged against the TDP leaders, the police allegedly failed to take action and instead registered cases against the MLA. They accused Chippagiri Circle Inspector Ravishankar Reddy of acting in a partisan manner and holding the legislator responsible for the incident.
The leaders criticised the police for allegedly targeting a public representative who had gone to express solidarity with an affected family while failing to act against those accused of carrying out the attack.
Describing the midnight operation as an assault on democratic values, they alleged that the police intimidated the MLA’s family members, arrested Mr. Virupakshi and his son, and shifted them to the Chippagiri police station.
The YSRCP leaders also expressed concern over the seizure of hard disks from the closed-circuit television cameras installed at the MLA’s residence. They questioned whether the devices had been taken away to suppress evidence and demanded that the footage be preserved and released in the interest of transparency.
The leaders demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Mr. Virupakshi and his son, sought the arrest of those allegedly involved in the attack on the MLA, and called for a high-level inquiry into the conduct of the Circle Inspector. They also urged the government to ensure the maintenance of law and order in Chippagiri.
Published – August 02, 2026 07:34 pm IST
