Huge Turnout at Devarapalli Becomes a Political Talking Point
The massive public turnout during YSRCP President YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s visit to Devarapalli has become a major topic of political discussion in Andhra Pradesh. Political observers say the scale of public participation in the Godavari districts surprised the ruling coalition and sections of the media that support it. Reports also suggest questions are being raised within the ruling party over whether intelligence agencies failed to anticipate such a large gathering.
YSRCP Alleges Attempts to Shift Public Attention
The YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) has alleged that attempts were made to divert public attention away from the overwhelming response received by Jagan during the visit. The party claims that despite knowing a huge crowd was expected, the government failed to make adequate security arrangements. According to YSRCP, the resulting jostling and crowd-related incidents were later used for political propaganda against the opposition leader.
Allegations Over Damage to Tiffin Centre
During the visit, some media outlets reported that YSRCP supporters entered a tiffin centre run by a woman named Divya in Devarapalli, vandalized the premises, stole cash, assaulted women and children, and caused damages worth around ₹10,000.
Responding to these reports, Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh alleged through his social media platform that YSRCP workers not only damaged the poor woman’s tiffin centre but also vandalized pictures of Hindu deities kept inside the shop. Critics argued that these allegations gave the incident a religious angle and were intended to generate political mileage.
Divya’s Video Statement Changes the Narrative
However, the controversy took a different turn after Divya, the owner of the tiffin centre, released a video statement.
She clarified that neither she nor her family had blamed YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for the incident. According to her, the disturbance occurred due to the heavy crowd and it would be unfair to hold Jagan personally responsible.
Divya further stated that her family had benefited from welfare schemes implemented during Jagan’s tenure and that they had no grievances against him.
Claims of Pressure From TDP Leaders
In her video, Divya also alleged that some Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders pressured her to make statements claiming that extensive damage had occurred at her shop. She said they allegedly wanted her to portray the incident as a deliberate attack.
She further claimed that after the incident, officials asked her to visit the District Collector through the Tahsildar’s office and travel in a vehicle arranged by the government, which made her family feel intimidated.
Divya also recalled that her family received a house site during the previous YSRCP government and had benefited from several welfare schemes. She added that she was happy to have met Jagan during his visit.
YSRCP Accuses Government of Politicising the Incident
Using the episode as an example, YSRCP has accused the government of attempting to blame the opposition leader for a crowd-management issue that arose due to inadequate security arrangements.
The party argues that instead of addressing the security lapses, the ruling coalition turned the incident into a political campaign against Jagan.
Focus on Tobacco Farmers Allegedly Overshadowed
According to several local residents and political observers, the primary purpose of Jagan’s Devarapalli visit was to discuss the problems faced by tobacco farmers. They argue that instead of responding to those concerns, the government and parts of the political establishment shifted the focus toward the controversy surrounding the tiffin centre incident.
As the competing claims continue, the Devarapalli episode has evolved into yet another flashpoint in Andhra Pradesh politics, with both the ruling coalition and the opposition presenting sharply different narratives about what transpired during Jagan’s visit.
