YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy launched a fierce verbal attack on the police during his visit to Bangarupalem in Chittoor district, alleging police brutality and political bias. Referring to recent arrests, Jagan accused the government of detaining over 1,200 people to prevent them from attending his event and carrying out indiscriminate lathi charges.
“Are you police or monsters?” he questioned angrily, claiming that ordinary people were being harassed by a system meant to protect them. “Every policeman should remember—when you face trouble, the only person who will stand for you is Jagan,” he declared.
Jagan’s Allegations Against Police & Government
Jagan warned constables not to blindly follow the orders of corrupt senior officers. He alleged that CM Chandrababu Naidu’s promises to the police would eventually be broken, and if they continued to enable injustice, they’d be left alone when problems arise.
Jagan also highlighted the severe distress faced by mango farmers in the region:
Over 2.20 lakh acres are under mango cultivation in Chittoor district.
76,000 farmers are struggling due to poor procurement and falling prices.
Many are forced to leave their produce in trucks for 4-5 days near factories, incurring heavy rental and transport costs.
He criticised the state for failing to begin mango procurement by early May, which is the usual schedule. As a result, by June, factories were overwhelmed, and prices crashed. Jagan claimed that during his tenure, mangoes were sold at ₹29 per kg, but now prices had dropped to ₹6 or less, with some messages promising low prices just because of his arrival.
Mango Dumping Drama & Political Stage-Setting
Jagan’s visit, however, became controversial when trucks loaded with mangoes were deliberately stopped in front of his convoy and the fruit was dumped on the road. Reports suggest that at least two tractors were forcibly taken from real farmers who were on their way to sell their produce at a nearby market ramp. Three other tractors were provided by YSRCP leaders for the staged event.
This act caused substantial traffic disruption and allegedly led to mangoes being crushed under Jagan’s convoy, damaging produce worth nearly ₹2 lakh, especially to traders at Wasim Traders’ outlet at Bangarupalem market.
Despite claiming the visit was to “stand with farmers,” Jagan did not interact with any real farmers, according to local reports. From the moment his helicopter landed, he was surrounded only by party workers and leaders, raising criticism that the entire tour was scripted for media optics.
In one dramatic scene, YSRCP leaders were seen grabbing mango crates from a farmer on his way to the market and dumping them in front of the media to depict farmer suffering.
Tensions with Police and Heated Exchange
The situation escalated when YSRCP leader Sashidhar Reddy fell in a scuffle near the convoy, which led to police allegedly using force. Jagan lashed out at Chittoor SP Manikanta, questioning, “Who gave you the right to break our worker’s head?” Even though the injured was given first aid by police, Jagan accused them of spreading lies and brutality.
