KAKINADA: Kapu movement leader and former minister Mudragada Padmanabham thanked Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for withdrawing the cases filed in 2016 over the Tuni railway station incident. He stated that they were accused of a crime that was not committed by them and the cases foisted in the past were unlawful. Mudragada expressed happiness over the dismissal of all the cases related to the Kapu movement, thanked him in the letter.

Even though the Kapu community had removed him from the movement, the Chief Minister had come in the form of God and exonerated them from the cases, the Kapu leader said. Mudragada also stated that he was unable to meet YS Jagan in person as he did not want to fuel speculations that he was meeting him for any favourable position or make money which he did not like.

It may be recollected that after coming to power in May 2019, the AP government led by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy had announced that the cases filed against the Kapu agitators would be lifted. The state government on Thursday dropped all the cases, pending against the activists of Kapu community, in connection with the 2016 case that took place where a train was burnt at Tuni railway station in East Godavari district by the protestors.

“The state government is withdrawing all the cases registered against the protesters in the public interest and to maintain peace and security in the state, as per director general of police (DGP) Gautam Sawang’s recommendations,” said state principal secretary (home) Kumar Vishwajeet, in an order.

“In total, 329 cases were registered in connection with the Kapu reservation agitation from January 2016 to March 2019. Of these, 153 cases were disposed in the last two years – some through withdrawal and others by the courts at the lower level,” said the home secretary.

Out of the 176 cases left, the state government has now decided to withdraw charges against the Kapu agitators in 161 cases and another 14 are also being processed, the order read.

Also Read: AP CM YS Jagan True Supporter Of Kapu Community: Kurasala Kannababu