Amaravati, Aug 17 Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh on Sunday demanded that former Chief Minister and YSR Congress Party president Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy apologise to the nation for skipping the hoisting of the national flag on Independence Day.
He termed the action of the YSRCP leader as an insult to the country's freedom struggle.
"Skipping the flag hoisting of our tricolour on Independence Day is not just arrogance, it is a deep insult to our country’s freedom struggle," Lokesh posted on the social media platform 'X'.
Lokesh, who is the general secretary of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and son of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, said Jagan should apologise to the nation.
The TDP has already criticised Jagan Mohan Reddy for not hoisting the national flag on the occasion of the 79th Independence Day.
Senior TDP leader and Sarvepalli MLA Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy sought to know why Jagan, despite being the president of a political party, failed to recognise the significance of Independence Day.
"Why so much arrogance," asked the former minister in a post on 'X'. The TDP leader asked Jagan if he did not remember the day when lakhs of people sacrificed their lives to achieve independence for the country.
"Just because you are frustrated with the Pulivendula ZPTC result, do you forget a national festival? This is a black mark in your political life," posted Chandramohan Reddy.
Another senior leader and Ponnur MLA, Dhulipalla Narendra Kumar, accused Jagan of insulting the national flag.
He alleged that Jagan humiliated freedom fighters by not unfurling the national flag.
"The defeat of the YSRCP in Pulivendula ZPTC byelection may be the reason for Jagan's frustration. However, abstaining from hoisting the national flag reflects his mental condition," Narendra Kumar said.
YSR Congress party suffered defeat in the by-elections to Pulivendula and Ontimitta Zilla Parishad Territorial Constituencies (ZPTCs) in Jagan’s home district of YSR Kadapa.
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