Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday, 14 June accused the N. Chandrababu Naidu-led coalition government of systematically suppressing opposition voices, alleging that the state administration had engineered the removal of the party's official social media presence. The charge came after the YSRCP's official Facebook page was rendered inaccessible to users in India, following the earlier takedown of its Instagram handle.

What Jagan Mohan Reddy Alleged

In a post on X, Jagan Mohan Reddy described the Facebook page restriction as an assault not merely on the YSRCP but on democratic values and freedom of expression. 'After the takedown of our official Instagram handle earlier this year, the official YSRCP Facebook page has now been made inaccessible in India. This is not just an attack on YSRCP; it is an attack on democratic values and freedom of expression,' he wrote.

He further alleged a broader pattern of institutional pressure, citing cases filed against individuals who questioned the government on spending related to the Amaravati capital development project, alleged irregularities in the District Selection Committee (DSC) recruitment process, TTD ghee tenders, and other public-interest matters. 'A disturbing pattern is emerging,' Reddy wrote, linking content restrictions online to what he characterised as wider political intimidation.

YSRCP's Response and Legal Stand

Reddy pledged to challenge the actions through 'every legal and constitutional avenue,' asserting that no intimidation, censorship, or misuse of institutions could silence opposition voices. He demanded the immediate restoration of the party's official Facebook page, framing it as a constitutional imperative.

Separately, the YSRCP extended full legal and political support to candidates who allege they were denied justice in the DSC-2025 recruitment process. The party clarified that its fight is directed at alleged irregularities in the sports quota and broader selection process — not at candidates who secured appointments through it.

Party Leaders Meet Affected DSC Candidates

A large number of affected candidates visited the YSRCP Central Office, where they were addressed by YSRCP State Coordinator Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, alongside MLCs Parvatha Reddy Chandrasekhar Reddy and Lella Appi Reddy. The leaders urged candidates not to lose hope, assuring them of continued legal support. The party's Legal Cell collected case details to pursue formal remedies.

Context and Political Background

This comes amid a charged political climate in Andhra Pradesh, where the Telugu Desam Party (TDP)-led coalition returned to power in 2024, defeating the YSRCP after a single term. Since then, the two parties have traded accusations over governance, corruption, and now, democratic freedoms. Notably, social media platform restrictions attributed to government action represent an escalating front in opposition politics across Indian states. The YSRCP has not presented independent technical evidence confirming that the state government directly ordered the Facebook restriction; the allegation remains the party's own account. The Naidu government had not issued a public response to the charges at the time of reporting.