The Anantapur police have taken stringent action against YSR Congress party (YSRCP) leaders and supporters who allegedly performed public animal sacrifices and used blood to anoint flex boards with images of party president and former Andhra chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.
On the instructions of DIG Shivamurthy, cases were registered against 26 persons across the erstwhile Anantapur district. Of them, 13 accused were arrested and later released on station bail, while three others were bound over before the Tahsildar.
In Bommaganipalli village of Brahmasamudram mandal, police said that five goats were brutally slaughtered in front of a flex banner of Jagan Mohan Reddy on Sunday. The ritual was allegedly carried out under the leadership of village sarpanch Adinarayana Reddy.
According to Sub-Inspector Narendra Kumar, the blood was used to perform a “blood bath” on the flex board, and the act was recorded and circulated on social media with “Rappa Rappa” slogans added to the visuals.
Police registered cases against the sarpanch and six others and arrested them. They were later released on station bail as per court orders.
Following the arrests, YSRCP leaders reportedly circulated posts on social media on Monday morning, threatening to stage a protest in front of the police station. Anticipating unrest, police deployed additional security under the supervision of DSP Ravibabu.
Similar cases were registered in other areas like Vidapanakallu mandal headquarters, where six YSRCP leaders were booked for creating panic near the bus stand by slaughtering goats, dancing with sickles, and writing slogans such as “Rappa Rappa in 2029” on flex banners; Bhanukota village of Kanaganapalli mandal, Sri Sathya Sai district, police registered cases against 14 persons, arresting seven of them for animal sacrifice and blood rituals.
Dharmavaram DSP Hemanth Kumar has categorically stated that public animal sacrifice is a punishable offence and warned of strict action against those indulging in such acts.
The DSP said that publicly sacrificing animals and performing blood rituals could incite tensions and disturb communal harmony.