Andhra Pradesh MLA B. Virupakshi Arrested After Dalit Clash

On the night of 3 August 2024, YSR Congress Party MLA B. Virupakshi was taken into custody from his home in Chippagiri, Kurnool district, after police linked him to violent clashes between YSRCP and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) supporters in the Sangala and Nemakallu villages of Chippagiri mandal. The dispute, sparked by a phone‑argument between a TDP activist and a YSRCP worker, escalated into attacks on a Dalit TDP worker, Nagaraju, and his wife, with reports of property damage and injuries to several participants. Virupakshi and his son Chandrasekhar were charged under the SC/ST (Prevention of Atrocities) Act and with attempted murder, and about fifteen YSRCP cadres were also arrested.

The arrest prompted a protest by YSRCP supporters at the Chippagiri police station. YSRCP chief and Andhra Pradesh chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy denounced the police action as a political vendetta, questioning the rule of law in the state. TDP leaders, including Alur Assembly in‑charge Vaikuntam Jyothi, accused Virupakshi of leading the mob that damaged the residence of TDP mandal convener Purushotham and of assaulting Nagaraju’s family.