As YouTuber’s remarks against Jagan’s wife spark firestorm in Andhra Pradesh, an arrest and a war of words

Kiran was arrested by a team of Mangalagiri Rural Police, which tracked him to Ibrahimpatnam near Vijayawada on Thursday evening and took him into custody. He was produced in the Mangalagiri court on Friday afternoon and sent to judicial custody.

Outrage over Kiran’s remarks had spread this past week, prompting the TDP leadership to suspend him from the party. TDP general secretary and minister Nara Lokesh Naidu, the son of Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu, also asked TDP leaders to file a police complaint against him.

“We strongly condemn the coordinated online abuse of women by anti-social elements associated with the TDP and Jana Sena. The remarks against Y S Bharati are sickening,” said YSRCP spokesperson Syamala Reddy.

Former minister Ambati Rambabu alleged, “Why was Kiran not arrested in the past when he made inappropriate remarks against YSRCP leaders over a long period? We lodged numerous complaints against him. The lack of action is due to the backing Kiran received from Nara Lokesh. To save face after Kiran abused Y S Bharati, they finally arrested him, but nothing is going to happen to him. TDP falsely claimed before the elections that YSRCP was abusing women. They are doing it now.”

Hours before he was arrested, Kiran issued an apology, saying he made the comments in a fit of anger but without malice. “I seek forgiveness if my words hurt anyone,” he said. But the TDP still went ahead and lodged the police complaint.

Syamala Reddy termed Kiran’s arrest a staged drama and said the TDP has nurtured anti-social elements. She compared them to jackals targeting women with degrading content online.

TDP’s Guntur office in-charge A Narendra, however, pointed out that it was their office bearers who lodged the police complaint.