Amaravati
Andhra Pradesh Police on Thursday arrested Sheikh Khaja, Personal Assistant to former Deputy Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party leader Amjad Basha, in connection with alleged derogatory social media posts targeting Kadapa MLA Madhavi Reddy. Khaja was arrested in Hyderabad by a Kadapa police team and taken to Kadapa for questioning. He was shifted to the Police Training Centre on the city outskirts.
The case was registered after Madhavi Reddy and her husband, TDP politburo member Srinivasula Reddy, lodged a complaint at Kadapa One Town Police Station, naming Amjad Basha, his brother Ahmed Basha, and Khaja as accused. The arrest followed an investigation, but the transfer of Inspector Ramakrishna Yadav post-case registration sparked controversy. Local TDP leaders alleged the transfer was aimed at shielding political figures.
The YSRCP condemned Khaja’s arrest, alleging it was part of continued “vengeance” by the coalition government against its leaders. The party questioned the legality of such arrests and demanded clarity on the matter.
In a related move, the Andhra Pradesh government has constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) to oversee social media regulations. Led by IT and HRD Minister Nara Lokesh, the panel includes ministers Y Satya Kumar Yadav, Nadendla Manohar, Kolusu Parthasarathy, and Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha. The GoM will review existing laws, identify regulatory gaps, study international best practices, and explore improved accountability and protection measures for social media users.
