Image Source: NDTV
In the early hours of a Saturday morning, municipal authorities from the Mangalagiri-Tadepalli Municipal Corporation (MTMC) executed a controversial demolition of the under-construction central office belonging to the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) in Tadepalli, Guntur district. The demolition, carried out using heavy machinery like excavators and bulldozers, was purportedly due to alleged illegal construction activities on land belonging to the irrigation department.
The Capital Region Development Authority (CRDA) had previously issued a notice regarding these alleged violations, prompting the YSRCP to seek legal recourse. The party approached the High Court on Friday to challenge the CRDA’s actions, asserting that the court had ordered a cessation of demolition activities—a claim reportedly conveyed to the CRDA Commissioner by the party’s legal representative.
According to CRDA and MTMC officials, the land where the YSRCP office was being built had originally been designated for a boatyard and was leased under questionable circumstances during the previous government led by Jagan Mohan Reddy. The construction itself allegedly commenced without the necessary approvals from both the CRDA and MTMC, exacerbating the legal and regulatory complexities surrounding the site.
Former Chief Minister and YSRCP President Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy strongly condemned the demolition, accusing the current TDP-led government of engaging in political vendetta against his party. Through social media posts, he criticized Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, characterizing the demolition as a dictatorial act that disregarded judicial orders. Reddy framed the incident as a broader message from Naidu’s administration about its governance style for the upcoming term.
Despite the setback, Reddy vowed to continue the party’s fight, positioning it as a struggle against oppression and appealing to democratic forces nationwide to denounce what he labeled as Naidu’s authoritarian tactics. This incident underscores the ongoing political tensions in Andhra Pradesh, highlighting clashes between competing parties and the intertwining of legal, regulatory, and political issues in the region’s development landscape.
