YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) president and former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy on Monday, 21 September declared that his party's statewide protest would continue until Education Minister Nara Lokesh resigns and the Centre orders a CBI inquiry into alleged irregularities in the District Selection Committee (DSC) teacher recruitment process. The announcement came amid reported police action against YSRCP activists staging a demonstration in Vijayawada.

Jagan's Key Demands

Addressing the controversy through a post on X (formerly Twitter), Jagan Mohan Reddy posed a pointed challenge to Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and his son Lokesh: 'If you are so confident that nothing improper happened, why are you afraid of an investigation, particularly when so much evidence has emerged?' He argued that a self-issued certificate of transparency from those accused of the alleged scam carries no credibility, and insisted only an independent CBI probe can restore public faith in the recruitment system.

Jagan demanded that Nara Lokesh accept personal responsibility for the alleged DSC irregularities and step down as Education Minister. He framed the agitation as a fight for the 'lakhs of candidates' whose futures depend on a fair government recruitment process.

Violence Alleged at Vijayawada Protest Site

YSRCP leaders alleged that police resorted to a lathi-charge against party workers, students, and unemployed youth who attempted to hold a peaceful rally at the office of the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) in Vijayawada. Jagan further alleged that Telugu Desam Party (TDP) workers, 'disguised as teachers', attacked the protestors — a charge that has not been independently verified. He condemned the reported police highhandedness as evidence of what he called the Naidu government's desperation to avoid scrutiny.

The DSC Scam Allegations

The DSC, or District Selection Committee, conducts teacher recruitment examinations across Andhra Pradesh — a high-stakes process drawing thousands of aspirants who spend years preparing. The YSRCP alleges serious irregularities in recent appointments under the current Telugu Desam Party–led government. The party contends that merit-based selection was compromised, depriving deserving candidates of government posts. The ruling dispensation has not publicly accepted these allegations, and no FIR or formal inquiry has been announced as of the time of this report.

This comes amid a broader pattern of opposition parties in Andhra Pradesh using teacher recruitment controversies as a political flashpoint — the state has seen multiple such disputes over the past decade, each carrying significant electoral weight given the large number of job aspirants involved.

What Happens Next

Jagan made clear the agitation is open-ended, stating: 'Until these demands are met, our voice will continue to resonate across the State.' The YSRCP is expected to escalate its protests in the coming days. All eyes are now on whether the state government responds to calls for a CBI inquiry or whether the confrontation deepens into a wider law-and-order situation ahead of upcoming political cycles in Andhra Pradesh.