Former Chief Minister and YSRCP chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy has strongly criticized chief minister Chandrababu Naidu and the TDP for failing to protect women in Andhra Pradesh, highlighting Naidu’s deliberate undermining of key safety programs like the ‘Disha’ initiative and allowing incidents of violence against women to rise during his tenure.
Taking the social media platform ‘X’, YSR Congress chief cited the tragic incident in Badvel, where a college girl was set on fire and killed, calling it a failure of both the government and the police. He expressed condolences to the victim’s family and condemned the lack of protection for women under Naidu’s governance.
Jagan criticized Chandrababu Naidu for deliberately undermining the YSRCP’s ‘Disha’ initiative, a program designed to ensure the safety of women and girls. He pointed out that under the YSRCP government’s tenure, the ‘Disha’ initiative had provided protection to 31,607 women and girls, with the app being downloaded by 1.56 crore people. He expressed concern over Naidu’s decision to weaken this crucial safety system, arguing that it endangered the well-being and security of women.
Jagan stated that to strengthen the ‘Disha’ initiative, his government had specifically established 13 POCSO courts, 12 women’s courts, and forensic labs. He mentioned that public prosecutors were appointed in every district and 900 bikes along with 163 Bolero vehicles were provided to the police to enhance patrolling under the ‘Disha’ program. Additionally, 18 ‘Disha’ police stations were set up, along with 18 crime management vehicles, all connected to the police command control room. Jagan emphasized that during his tenure, the ‘Disha’ program was given top priority in law and order reviews, ensuring that the police remained vigilant at all times.
Jagan strongly criticized Chandrababu Naidu, questioning why he was stopping important programs aimed at empowering and protecting women. He accused Naidu of being involved in scams like sand and liquor and allowing gambling clubs to operate. Jagan also claimed that, under Naidu’s leadership, the police were misused to target the opposition with false cases, while neglecting their duty to ensure the safety of women and children. He raised serious concerns about the direction of governance under Naidu’s rule.
