The Andhra Pradesh unit of the CID today arrested YSR Congress Party MP Kanumuru Raghu Rama Krishna Raju. The date of his arrest coincides with his birthday.
The police went to Raju's Hyderabad residence and took him into custody on charges of causing damage to the reputation of the AP government.
Before the arrest, the CID had issued a notice to the leader for his reported violations of Sections 50 (2), 124 (A), 153, and 505 of the IPC.
However, the CID sleuths were stopped by CRPF police initially who asserted that they would allow the CID to arrest Raju only if they had obtained permission from their senior officials. Ignoring the demand, the CID team forcefully arrested the MP anyway.
His arrest comes after he began to voice acerbic criticisms against the YSRCP-led AP government soon after he won the Narsarapuram Lok Sabha constituency seat in AP.
The MP had also levelled serious allegations against AP Chief Minister Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, Public Affairs Advisor Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy and MP Y V Subba Reddy.
He has been vocal about his disagreement with the Jagan regime's ways of governing the state, and has even filed a petition seeking the
cancellation of CM Jagan's bail.
The arrest is sure to be seen, by Jagan's detractors, as the CM's way of silencing dissent against his government.