Vijayawada, Sep 21, 2026: Vijayawada witnessed large-scale protests on Monday as YSRCP leaders and workers demonstrated against irregularities in Mega DSC recruitment, particularly under the sports quota. Despite police restrictions and attempts by TDP workers to disrupt the protest, YSRCP cadres reached the Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh (SAAP) office and laid siege to it. The party demanded a CBI inquiry into the sports quota recruitment and the resignation of Minister Nara Lokesh.
Police stop YSRCP leaders at Multiple Points
Police denied permission for the protest, erected barricades around the SAAP office and deployed personnel at major junctions. YSRCP leaders and workers nevertheless moved towards the office. Former ministers Jogi Ramesh, Meruga Nagarjuna and Vellampalli Srinivas, former MLAs Gopireddy Srinivasa Reddy, Bolla Brahmanaidu, TJR Sudhakar Babu and Nallagatla Swamidas, MLCs Ramesh Yadav, Chandrasekhar Reddy and Bommi Israel, Women’s Wing president Varudu Kalyani, Devineni Avinash, Gautham Reddy, former mayor Bhagyalakshmi and several other leaders joined the protest.
Lathi-Charge and Clashes Near SAAP Office
When YSRCP leaders attempted to cross the barricades, police stopped them, leading to pushing and jostling. Police resorted to a lathi-charge on workers staging a sit-in and dragged protesters away by their shirts. Gautham Reddy collapsed after being pushed and was shifted to hospital.
YSRCP said TNSF leaders and TDP workers entered the SAAP office posing as teachers and attacked its workers and student-wing leaders with sticks, leaving one activist injured. The party said police failed to intervene and instead supported the attackers.
Malladi Vishnu, Ambati Rambabu Arrested
Former MLA Malladi Vishnu was stopped while proceeding towards the SAAP office. He questioned why restrictions were imposed only on YSRCP programmes and was subsequently arrested.
Former minister Ambati Rambabu, who was travelling to Vijayawada, was stopped near Kaza Toll Plaza. He and other YSRCP leaders staged a sit-in there. Police later detained Rambabu, Noori Fatima and Diamond Babu and shifted them to Pedakakani Police Station. Nagarjuna Yadav, Perni Kittu, Jakkampudi Raja and others were arrested and taken to Krishnalanka Police Station.
Restrictions in Other Districts
Police also stopped YSRCP leaders travelling to Vijayawada from other districts. Former Deputy Speaker Kona Raghupathi was stopped at Chundurupalli in Bapatla district and later taken to Bapatla Police Station. In Krishna district, notices were served on party leaders and police were deployed near the Machilipatnam party office. YSRCP youth leader Kamireddy Nani, travelling from Eluru, was arrested near Kalaparru Toll Plaza.
YSRCP Questions Counter-Protest by Teachers
YSRCP said some teachers selected through DSC were brought to the SAAP office to stage a counter-protest. The party said SAAP MD Bharani came out and interacted with them while they complained that YSRCP was spreading false information, and described the episode as scripted.
“Why Stop a Peaceful Protest?”: Jogi Ramesh
Former minister Jogi Ramesh questioned why police were preventing a peaceful protest. YSRCP leaders reiterated that their principal demand was a comprehensive inquiry into the doubts and irregularities surrounding DSC sports quota recruitments and said the facts must be placed before the public.
