Metro India News | AMARAVATI

Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh has launched a scathing attack on YSRCP State Coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, condemning his response to the arrest of senior journalist Kommineni Srinivasa Rao and the subsequent protests by Amaravati women. Lokesh termed the YSRCP’s rhetoric as not just derogatory but emblematic of a deeper disdain for women.

Reacting to Sajjala’s reported comments on women protesters, Lokesh expressed outrage at the use of the term “sankara jathi” (a slur implying mixed caste or impurity), allegedly used by YSRCP leaders to describe women who peacefully protested by holding photos of those who insulted them. “What kind of language is this? What kind of despicable conduct is this from public leaders?” Lokesh asked in a strongly-worded statement.

Lokesh accused the YSRCP leadership and a section of journalists associated with Sakshi TV of systematically demeaning women. “Veteran journalists from Sakshi have openly referred to Amaravati women as prostitutes. Now, YSRCP leaders are stooping even lower by calling them sankara jathi. Why such contempt for women?” he questioned.

He drew a direct link between YSRCP’s treatment of women and what he called Jagan Mohan Reddy’s own track record. “It seems they are simply following Jagan’s example — a man who disowned his own mother and sister for political gain,” Lokesh said.

Issuing a stern warning, Lokesh stated that any insult to the dignity of women will be met with the full force of the law. “Let it be clear: those who attack a woman’s self-respect will not be spared. The Constitution guarantees every citizen the right to protest democratically. To slander those who exercise that right is not only unconstitutional but cowardly,” he added.