Why Did Jagan Condemn the Suppression of Protests Against Medical College Privatization?

Amaravati, Sep 19 (NationPress) YSR Congress Party's leader and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Friday vehemently criticized the coalition government's harsh treatment of peaceful demonstrations occurring throughout Andhra Pradesh against the privatization of public medical colleges.

Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed his concerns on X, questioning Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu's motives for employing brutal measures such as 'lathi charges, arrests, house detentions, and police overreach' against students, youth, and YSRCP supporters who were peacefully expressing the public's grievances under the guidance of the party's Youth and Student factions. He pondered if democracy truly exists in the state when the constitutionally protected right to dissent is being so blatantly violated.

“What fuels the government's intolerance towards citizens advocating for public health and medical education? Transferring government-established medical colleges—assets that belong to generations—to private entities and cronies is an act of betrayal. When faced with opposition, the government resorts to violence, even permitting assaults on the media covering these protests. This is pure tyranny,” stated Jagan Mohan Reddy.

He pointed out that YSRCP MLCs who protested outside the Assembly against privatization faced police brutality. Nevertheless, YSRCP lawmakers, youth, and student leaders successfully organized peaceful demonstrations both within the Legislative Council and at medical college campuses despite the oppression.

“Our struggle is for the health security of the underprivileged and the rights of students. Our fight will escalate until the government retracts its decision to privatize medical colleges,” he asserted.

YS Jagan commended all who took part in the protests, reiterating the party's steadfast commitment to protect public health and educational access for the underprivileged.

Earlier, the YSRCP had claimed that the state-wide ‘Chalo medical colleges’ initiative was a grand triumph.

Former minister Vidadala Rajini noted that despite police constraints, large crowds gathered at 17 medical colleges, five of which were fully operational while the others were at various completion stages.

They visited every site where the medical colleges were established by the previous YS Jagan administration, clearly communicating to the public about the privatization agenda of the coalition government.

She remarked that Chandrababu could not establish a single medical college during all his terms combined, while YS Jagan initiated 17 government medical colleges in his five-year term.

People congregated in significant numbers to protest, demanding a reversal of the privatization plan.

Police imposed strict restrictions and placed leaders under house arrest, with their heavy-handedness particularly evident in Palnadu, she noted.