BJP-Jagan remark: FIR storms against Nageshwar even as he apologises

Several first-information reports have been registered against senior political analyst and journalist K Nageshwar by the Andhra Pradesh Police after he remarked during a television debate that Union Minister Amit Shah declined Andhra Deputy Chief Minister and Jana Sena Party (JSP) supremo Pawan Kalyan’s request to arrest Opposition leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy of the YSR Congress in the state.

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However, Nageshwar has found support from various quarters, including in both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Besides Left parties and groups, Telangana Opposition party Bharat Rashtra Samithi and the state’s newly formed Telangana Rakshana Sena of K Kavitha came out in his defence, besides many from the intellectual fraternity.

Jagan BJP's 'long-term friend'?

It all happened on May 19, when citing “highly placed sources”, Nageshwar said the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister told Kalyan and state Minister Nadendla Manohar, who met him in New Delhi that while the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), which leads the National Democratic Alliance government in Andhra is an instant friend of the BJP, Jagan has been a “long-term friend”.

Nageshwar’s remarks left the JSP members furious, and based on their complaints, the FIRs were registered against the public intellectual in different parts of Andhra, including Kakinada, on May 21. Charges of provocation were brought with the intent to fuel riots and promote friction between groups, among others.

Criminal cases were also filed against the television channel that aired Nageshwar’s remarks.

Manohar strongly rejected the professor’s remarks, saying neither he nor Kalyan had urged the Union home minister to arrest Jagan. He also asked Nagehswar to withdraw what he alleged were false statements. Andhra Minister and TDP National Working President Nara Lokesh even mocked Nageshwar as "self-styled intellectual".

As criticism intensified, Nageshwar issued a public apology and withdrew his remarks. According to one report, he even said that he was provided with incorrect information and could not verify it.

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Kandarapu Murali, vice president of Andhra Pradesh Centre of Indian Trade Unions said the professor had already withdrawn his remarks unconditionally, acknowledging that discussing internal political matters was a mistake. According to him, escalating the matter through police complaints and political attacks was redundant.

BJP leader backs Nageshwar

Even support for Nageshwar came from the BJP. Former national general secretary P Muralidhar Rao said the former is a distinguished political analyst, and the filing of the police case against him sends a wrong message.

“As reported, he has already withdrawn his remarks, and the @JanaSenaParty leadership has also accepted it. Taking the matter further through police action serves no meaningful purpose and only raises concerns about freedom of expression,” he said in a post on X.

Ex-Telangana minister supports professor

Former Telangana minister Harish Rao from the BRS said on X, “Even though he has announced that he is unconditionally withdrawing the remarks he made, it is not right to file cases with a vengeful attitude and harass him. I urge the AP government to immediately withdraw these cases.”

Actor-social activist Prakash Raj also stood by Nageshwar. On Sunday (may 24), Jagan said in a post on X, “In a post on X, Jagan said, “Democracy in Andhra Pradesh is under grave threat because of Naidu’s politics of suppression and intimidation... Acting like a dictator, he (the CM) has turned the state into a police raj where opposition leaders, journalists and social media activists who question the government are being systematically silenced.”

As The Federal Andhra Pradesh discussed the issue, it cited political analysts as saying that Nageshwar’s remarks could strengthen the YSRCP’s stance that Jagan has remained a trusted ally of the BJP high command, while the current ruling coalition comprising the TDP, BJP and JSP was based more on temporary political convenience.

TDP's roller-coaster ties with BJP

The discussion also revived earlier political developments. From 2014 to 2019, the TDP allied with the BJP both in the state and at the Centre before eventually distancing itself from the saffron camp. During that period, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah had sharply criticised Chandrababu Naidu, the current chief minister of Andhra Pradesh. Modi had even said once at a public meeting near Vijayawada that Andhra’s Polavaram project had become an “ATM” for Naidu.

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According to observers, it was Kalyan who later played a major role in rebuilding ties between the TDP and BJP before the 2024 elections, resulting in the current alliance.

The issue further escalated after comments previously made by former BJP Andhra Pradesh president Kanna Lakshminarayana resurfaced. He had reportedly claimed that whenever Naidu visited Delhi between 2014 and 2019, he requested action against Jagan. Those remarks also began circulating again in the context of the Nageshwar controversy.

BJP never a permanent ally of any regional party, says Left leader

Another prominent Communist Party of India leader said the BJP has never been a permanent ally of any regional party and only pursued relationships based on political convenience. Questioning why Kalyan or Naidu would need to request Amit Shah to arrest Jagan if legal processes were supposed to function independently. According to him, the state authorities already possess the legal powers required to act against wrongdoing without seeking approval from Delhi.

The episode has become a major political talking point across both Telugu states, with debates focusing not only on the alleged Delhi conversations but also on media ethics, political leaks, credibility in public commentary, and the relationship between the BJP and regional parties in Andhra Pradesh politics.