YSR Congress party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy does not want to lose any opportunity to corner his bitter rival Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu on any issue.
On Monday, Jagan chose to target Naidu while opposing the recent judgement of the Supreme Court, prohibiting immediate arrest and prosecution of the accused under the SC/ST Atrocities (Prevention) Act.
In his letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ramnath Kovind, Jagan said the SC judgment might dilute the very spirit of the Act.
“This restraint on the arrest of the accused may help the powerful accused rather than the vulnerable victim and may also hamper the investigation,” he said.
He pointed out that even a person like Chandrababu Naidu, who has been in public life for 40 years and Chief Minister of one of the most progressive States for 13 years, could get away without punishment for belittling the SCs.
“Naidu had the audacity to say that if only anybody is given a chance, why would he like to be born in Schedule Caste community,” the YSRC president recalled.
He said in another instance, state marketing and warehousing minister Ch Adi Narayana Reddy had made caustic remarks against SC community.
“He said SCs are unclean, ugly looking and do not carry themselves in a dignified way. This view of him demonstrates the feudal mindset of ruling class in the State and the manner in which they look down the Dalits,” he pointed out.
“If this is the mind set of people who are in public life, what about others?” Jagan asked.
