Andhra Pradesh Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha on Wednesday dismissed the YSR Congress Party’s allegations of serious security lapses during the visit of party president and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to Ramagiri mandal in Raptadu, Sri Satya Sai district, on Tuesday.
YSRCP leaders had claimed that Jagan was unable to fly back to Bengaluru in the helicopter as its windshield had been shattered.
“Despite being a Z+ category protectee, there was no adequate police presence at the helipad. Due to an uncontrolled crowd surge, the helicopter’s windshield was damaged,” the party alleged.
They added: “The situation became so risky that the pilots refused to fly back with the VIP, citing security concerns. The helicopter departed immediately after Jagan’s arrival, forcing him to return to Bengaluru by road after completing his programme.”
Anitha dismissed the entire episode as a “drama.” She accused Jagan of attempting to mislead the public by crafting a false narrative of a law-and-order breakdown.
“During Jagan’s visit to the Raptadu constituency, the government provided an exceptionally high level of security — including 1,100 police personnel, 250 of whom were stationed at the helipad alone,” she stated.
She questioned how a helicopter deemed unsafe to transport a VIP due to a damaged windshield could still take off within 15 minutes.
“If the flight was risky because of windshield damage, how could the pilot fly away in the same helicopter without any issue?” she asked, calling it a premeditated public relations stunt.
Anitha recalled that YSRCP leaders had previously engaged in authoritarian tactics, including deploying goons at airports to obstruct TDP leaders and attacking party offices.
She also noted that while Jagan, now a former CM and merely the MLA for Pulivendula, continues to receive Z+ security, TDP MLA Paritala Sunitha from Raptadu is only provided with "One Plus One" security.
Challenging Jagan to a public debate on the security lapse allegations, Anitha said she was fully prepared for an open discussion.
She also pointed out that Paritala Sunitha had publicly urged party members to refrain from participating in Jagan's visit and to respect the decisions of both the government and the party.