He said that tractors owned by YSRCP Sarpanch intentionally dumped mangoes on the street to create chaos and defame the NDA government in the state.
Published Jul 10, 2025 | 9:14 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 10, 2025 | 9:14 AM
Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Minister K Atchannaidu. (Facebook)
Synopsis: Andhra Pradesh Agriculture Minister K Atchannaidu slammed Jagan Mohan Reddy’s Chittoor visit, calling out him for resorting to political theatrics in the garb of a leader concerned with the farmers’ issues. The minister also accused the YSRCP of working against the interests of Andhra Pradesh.
In an apparent effort to offset the impact of former Andhra Pradesh chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s controversial visit to Mango Market in Chittoor district on farmers, Agriculture Minister K Atchannaidu took the YSRCP chief to task for violating all restrictions that came with police clearance on Wednesday, 9 July.
Speaking to reporters at the State Secretariat in Amaravati, he slammed the YSRCP and Jagan’s Chittoor visit, calling out him for resorting to political theatrics in the garb of a leader concerned with the farmers’ issues.
“Jagan is creating a false narrative and heading out on tours just for political mileage. People should recognise this as a drama. During the previous YSRCP regime, if Opposition leaders tried to tour over farmer issues, they were placed under house arrest by morning,” Atchannaidu said.
“At a time when we are allowing even Opposition tours, YSRCP is turning them into staged events — gathering party workers like it’s a film set. These tours are not meant to help farmers but are intended to disturb peace, law and order in the state,” he added.
The minister also accused the YSRCP of working against the interests of Andhra Pradesh. “Their goal is to keep investors away from the state and ensure governance doesn’t run smoothly. People must see this for what it is,” he said..
He further stated that mango procurement is progressing swiftly and nearing completion across key districts.
“In Annamayya district, 99 percent of the mangoes have been procured; in Tirupati, 98 percent; and in Chittoor, we’ve reached 80 percent. The procurement process is being handled efficiently — this is the actual ground reality with Totapuri mangoes,” he said.
He said that tractors owned by YSRCP Sarpanch intentionally dumped mangoes on the street to create chaos and defame the NDA government in the state. He alleged that YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s tour was a pre-planned political drama staged to mislead the public.
“Everything happened exactly as scripted. A man slipped and hit his head, and they spread false propaganda that the police resorted to a lathi charge. A journalist taking photos of the incident was beaten up,” Atchannaidu said.
Atchannaidu said that the government even installed drone cameras to ensure no untoward incident occurred during Jagan’s tour. He said that the incident of dumping mangoes on the streets was stage-managed.
“In a 25-acre mango orchard owned by YSRCP Chittoor District Secretary Prakash Reddy, five tractors were loaded with mangoes. As soon as Jagan’s convoy approached the area, those tractors rolled out and dumped the mangoes on the road. Shockingly, Jagan Mohan Reddy didn’t even get down to inquire. He simply drove over the scattered fruit,” he said.
He accused Jagan of criminally misusing farmer issues for political gain. “It was all done to falsely claim that the government was not buying mangoes, and farmers are distressed. However, it was Jagan — under a political mask — who orchestrated this stunt,” Atchannaidu claimed.
He also revealed the registration numbers of the tractors involved — AP 03-AA-0218, AP 20-U-9212, AP 03-M-018, AP 03-S-8542, and AP 03-TB-5532 — which are reportedly owned by a YSRCP leader and former sarpanch from Thimbojipalem.
“These tractors were kept in Prakash Reddy’s orchard and brought out only when Jagan arrived,” he said.
(Edited by Muhmmed Fazil.)
