YSRCP leaders have strongly denied any wrongdoing, accusing the TDP-led NDA government of failing to provide adequate security and of launching a smear campaign to damage YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s image.
Published Jun 25, 2025 | 6:26 PM ⚊ Updated Jun 25, 2025 | 6:26 PM
YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and Chandrababu Naidu. (X)
Synopsis: The death of 65-year-old YSRCP worker Cheeli Singaiah – fatally crushed under former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s bulletproof SUV during a rally last week – has ignited a major political controversy in Andhra Pradesh, with accusations of negligence and political vendetta flying between the ruling NDA and the opposition.
The death of a 65-year-old Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) worker, Cheeli Singaiah, who was run over by former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s bulletproof vehicle during a rally in Guntur district, has sparked a political storm in Andhra Pradesh.
The incident occurred on 18 June near Etukuru village. Since then, a bitter blame game has unfolded between the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the opposition YSRCP, with each side accusing the other of negligence and political exploitation.
Despite police restrictions, former CM & #YSRCP chief @ysjagan continued his tour in Palnadu district. SP confirms the convoy far exceeded the permitted limit (3 vs 30+ vehicles). Tragically, 53-year-old Singayya died in the chaos after being struck by a vehicle.
Tensions flared… pic.twitter.com/xK11glDPgt
— Ashish (@KP_Aashish) June 18, 2025
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan, and Information and Public Relations Minister K Parthasarathy have issued statements critical of the YSRCP’s handling of the rally and the incident.
On the other side, YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, along with former ministers Buggana Rajendranath Reddy and Ambati Rambabu, have pushed back, accusing the government of politicising the tragedy.
On the fateful day, YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, YSRCP president and former chief minister, was travelling from Tadepalli to Rentapalla in Palnadu district to visit the family of a party activist who had died by suicide a year earlier, allegedly due to harassment by TDP leaders and the police.
Although police had permitted only three vehicles and 100 supporters, thousands turned up along the route, leading to chaotic scenes.
Cheeli Singaiah, a plumber from Vengalayapalem village and a devoted YSRCP supporter, moved towards Jagan’s bulletproof SUV to shower flowers – a common gesture of adulation.
In the melee that followed, Singaiah reportedly slipped and was crushed under the vehicle’s front right wheel, suffering fatal injuries to his neck. Videos of the incident, which surfaced on social media on 22 June, captured the horrific moment, sparking widespread outrage.
Guntur police initially suggested that Singaiah had been run over by an unauthorised vehicle in the convoy. However, CCTV footage, drone visuals, and eyewitness accounts later confirmed that the vehicle involved was Jagan’s own.
On 24 June, police seized the bulletproof SUV and detained the driver, Ramana Reddy, an Armed Reserve constable, for questioning.
An FIR was filed under Section 105 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for culpable homicide not amounting to murder – upgraded from the initial charge of causing death by negligence – against Jagan, Ramana Reddy, former MP YV Subba Reddy, former ministers Vidadala Rajini and Perni Venkataramaiah (Perni Nani), and Jagan’s personal assistant K Nageshwar Reddy.
The reason cited was that all of them were present in YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s vehicle at the time of the mishap.
YSRCP leaders have strongly denied any wrongdoing, accusing the TDP-led NDA government of failing to provide adequate security and of launching a smear campaign to damage YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s image.
Former minister Ambati Rambabu alleged that the government had ignored Jagan’s Z+ security protocol, which requires pilot vehicles and rope parties to control crowds.
“The government failed to provide the required protection during Jagan’s tour, compromising his safety,” Rambabu said, claiming that the police had deliberately allowed the crowd to swell in order to create chaos.
He added that Jagan would have stopped to help Singaiah had he known about the accident, and noted that YSRCP leaders had provided ₹10 lakh as ex gratia to the deceased’s family.
Speaking on Monday, 23 June, Jagan expressed sorrow over Singaiah’s death, saying he had not been aware of the accident during the rally due to the large crowd.
“I learned of Cheeli Singaiah’s death only on my return from Rentapalla. I immediately sent leaders like Ambati Rambabu to provide help and announced ₹10 lakh compensation for his family,” Jagan said in a post on X.
He accused the ruling TDP and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu of politicising the tragedy to distract from governance failures.
Jagan said the state government had not ensured proper Z+ security arrangements, including pilot vehicles and rope parties, which he argued could have averted the incident.
“This is vindictive politics. Arranging security for a former CM is a protocol-based right, not a favour,” he added, alleging deliberate restrictions on his Palnadu tour.
Former finance minister and senior YSRCP leader Buggana Rajendranath Reddy went even further, alleging that the video showing Cheeli Singaiah under Jagan’s vehicle was “AI-generated” and part of a TDP-orchestrated attempt to defame the YSRCP.
“The ruling coalition released a doctored video to falsely blame Jagan. The initial police report said another vehicle was involved, but they changed the narrative under political pressure,” Buggana told reporters in Vijayawada on 24 June.
He claimed the TDP was exploiting the tragedy to discredit what he described as a successful rally by Jagan, which, according to him, had drawn attention to the NDA’s unfulfilled promises.
The ruling TDP, Jana Sena Party (JSP), and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition, in turn, has accused Jagan and the YSRCP of flouting police restrictions and mobilising an unruly crowd, which they say led to the tragedy.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu condemned the incident and questioned Jagan’s moral responsibility.
“Was it not your duty to ensure no law and order issues occurred? Why didn’t you visit the deceased’s family or inquire about the death?” Naidu asked on 19 June, accusing Jagan of bringing 45,000 supporters into a tobacco market, far exceeding the permitted 100.
Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha intensified the criticism, alleging that Jagan’s convoy ignored safety protocols.
“The YSRCP’s reckless show of strength cost a life. Jagan continued waving to the crowd while Singaiah lay crushed,” she said, citing viral videos.
Anitha also linked the incident to the YSRCP’s provocative “Rappa Rappa” placard – a reference to a Pushpa 2 dialogue implying violence – displayed during the rally.
“Jagan endorsed such violent rhetoric, setting a dangerous precedent,” she added.
Information and Public Relations Minister K Parthasarathy responded to claims that the viral video was doctored, challenging the YSRCP to produce proof.
“There were reporters at the time of the incident. YSRCP has its own machinery. Let them prove it. They themselves are saying that they had paid ₹10 lakh ex gratia to the kin of the victim. Their argument does not hold water,” he said during a cabinet briefing on Tuesday, 24 June.
The incident has sparked outrage across political lines, particularly after videos of the moment went viral, showing Singaiah’s tragic fate.
Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president YS Sharmila, Jagan’s sister, called the visuals “spine-chilling” in a post on X.
She questioned how the convoy continued moving without noticing the accident and criticised the crowd size.
“To protect your political existence, will you trample people under your tyres?” she wrote, holding Jagan responsible for poor crowd management.
Guntur police are now analysing additional footage and eyewitness accounts to determine culpability.
(Edited by Dese Gowda)
