Jaganmohan’s arrest shows no one is above law

The rise and fall of Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy is becoming the typical story of a failed Indian politician who subscribes to the view that his position affords him unlimited immunity.

Much of what Jaganmohan has achieved has been by virtue of his late father’s status – Y.S.R. Reddy was the chief minister of Andhra Pradesh before he died in a helicopter crash in 2009.

Having been at the epicenter of many political controversies, chief of which has been his spectacular fall out with the Congress party at the Centre after his father’s untimely demise, Jaganmohan has been in the spotlight lately for allegedly having acquired vast sums of wealth over a short period of time - these are disproportionate to his known sources of income.

There is also the political question which needs to be addressed in Hyderabad – the state is in disarray ahead of the June 12 assembly by-elections. Having said that, no one is above the law and Jaganmohan’s arrest should endorse this fact. Conversely, if he is innocent then his dignity should be restored.

Jaganmohan’s popularity amongst his electorate cannot be underestimated. Time and again he has embarrassed the Congress at the Centre and irrespective of the probe against him it does not discount the fact that the government, with the possible assistance of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) could be trying to isolate him politically to prevent the formation of a possible third front.

Jaganmohan was a popular winner in the Lok Sabha elections and now political strategists are predicting that with the Congress having been trounced at the by-elections in March another defeat could see them being wiped clean from Andhra Pradesh’s political slate. Jaganmohan’s party, the YSR Congress, is currently reaping rich dividends from the people’s support.

But an indication of the sorry state of current Indian of politics is that his arrest may lead to his party enjoying a sympathy wave in the coming days.