My fight is about Viveka’s murder, not property: Sharmila

Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Y. S. Sharmila on Monday clarified that her political struggle is centred on seeking justice in the murder of Y. S. Vivekananda Reddy and not on family property disputes, as alleged by YSR Congress Party leaders.

Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, Andhra Ratna Bhavan, here, Ms. Sharmila said that whenever she raises the issue of the murder, YSRCP leaders divert the discussion to property matters. She maintained that she had not spoken about assets during her recent visit to Visakhapatnam and asserted that her sole focus was on exposing what she described as attempts to mislead the investigation.

Ms. Sharmila alleged that Kadapa MP Y. S. Avinash Reddy had put forward a “heart attack” theory to misdirect the case and shift the blame. She demanded that former Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy and his wife Y. S. Bharati Reddy clarify why reports suggesting a heart attack were circulated through media outlets early that morning.

Rejecting allegations that her actions were driven by property disputes, she asserted that property was never part of her political agenda. “I did not enter politics for personal gain,” she said, while also denying that she was acting under the influence of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu or aligning with any party for selfish motives.

Referring to a letter written by her mother Y. S. Vijayamma recently, Ms. Sharmila said it reflected emotional distress and suggested equal distribution of family assets among the grandchildren, in line with the wishes of Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy. She questioned claims that the letter was fake, arguing that if it were false, Ms. Vijayamma herself would have denied it publicly.

Ms. Sharmila alleged that YSRCP leaders were spreading false propaganda instead of responding directly to the contents of the letter and claimed that Mr. Jagan was avoiding a direct response.