curious-case-of-andhra-s-short-lived-govt-order

Andhra Pradesh government’s decision to withdraw a GO (government order) within 24 hours of issuing it has set off political ripples in the state. Worried over possible backlash from the influential ‘Kapu’ community, the TDP-led NDA government hurriedly reversed a GO, issued on June 2, that authorised filing of an appeal against the acquittal of 41 people in the 2016 train burning case during an agitation in support of reservation for ‘Kapu’ community.

 

Significantly, actor-politician and deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan belongs to the Kapu community. His Jana Sena Party is part of the coalition government headed by N Chandrababu Naidu.

 

The case pertains to widespread arson at Tuni railway station and torching of the Ratnachal Express in East Godavari district by the agitators nearly nine years ago.

 

The original GO, issued by the Home Department, directed the Public Prosecutor, High Court of Andhra Pradesh, to challenge the acquittal judgment passed by the VII Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Court for Railways, Vijayawada, in May 2023.

 

Also read: 'Betrayal Day' protests mark 1 year of NDA govt in Andhra

 

However, the top political leadership was upset over the GO and warned the officials against making decisions without consulting them. This is because the accused persons in the case belong to the Kapu community. They had allegedly resorted to arson and vandalism after attending a public meeting at Tuni addressed by an influential leader Mudragada Padmanabham and others, demanding OBC status for Kapus.

 

Politically sensitive

 

Reopening of the case has the potential to turn politically sensitive as the Kapu community is numerically strong in the coastal belt of Andhra Pradesh. After the GO became public, Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan was reportedly upset.

 

The decision to challenge the Railway Court’s acquittal orders was not made by the top political leadership but by officials in the Home Department. As there might be a severe political backlash from the Kapu community, who can make or mar the fortunes of any political party in Andhra Pradesh, an informal inquiry has been ordered to find who had issued the controversial GO, and whether there was any ulterior motive.

 

Soon after, a damage control operation was undertaken by the government. The issue of the GO exposed the lack of coordination between the officials and the political leadership on important decisions.

 

Kapu leaders angry

 

Meanwhile, Kapu leaders condemned the issuance of the GO and attributed motives to the Telugu Desam Party government. "Chandrababu Naidu is anti-Kapu. The clearance given for challenging the Railway Court order is only intended to persecute the Kapus. We will teach him a lesson,” warned Ch Venkatarayudu, the president of Kapunadu West Godavari district wing.

 

Another leader, Bandi Srinivasa Rao, said: “Reopening of the case is nothing but vendetta politics. The burning of the train is a long-forgotten incident. Kapus are viewing the decision of the government seriously. The government has hurt the feelings of the Kapus.”

 

The incident took place during the first term of N Chandrababu Naidu as the chief minister of the bifurcated AP between 2014 and 2019, and the acquittal of the accused in the case took place when YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was in power between 2019 and 2024.

 

After Chandrababu Naidu took over once again as the chief minister in 2025, the Home Department issued the GO authorising the Public Prosecutor of the High Court of Andhra Pradesh to challenge the acquittal orders of the Metropolitan Magistrate Court for Railways.

 

The decision followed the recommendations from the Senior Divisional Security Commissioner, RPF, SC Railways, Vijayawada, and the Public Prosecutor’s opinion, dated 19 March.

 

The appeal was to be filed under Section 419 of the BNSS, 2023, the GO said, and asked the Public Prosecutor to take immediate action to ensure compliance and avoid legal complications. The GO was issued by the Principal Secretary to the Government (Home), Kumar Vishwajeet.

Violent agitation

 

On 31 January 2016, a massive protest organised by the Kapu community in Tuni had turned violent, culminating in the burning of the Ratnachal Express travelling from Visakhapatnam to Vijayawada.

 

The demonstration, named “Kapu Garjana” (Roar of Kapus), was spearheaded by former minister and Kapu leader Mudragada Padmanabham, demanding the community’s inclusion among the Backward Classes.

 

Despite the TDP promising reservation before the 2014 elections, delays in implementation had escalated frustrations, leading to the agitation.

Thousands of protesters gathered for a public meeting near Tuni. However, the situation quickly spiralled out of control when agitators stormed the railway station, blocking tracks, while several others pelted stones at the Ratnachal Express, and set multiple coaches on fire.

 

The violence extended beyond the railway station, with attacks on police stations, burning of police vehicles, and blockades on the Chennai-Kolkata national highway, causing widespread disruption. There were no passenger deaths, but several railway staff and police personnel were injured, and the railways suffered damages worth ₹41 crore, including the destruction of a new locomotive.

 

The Crime Investigation Department (CID) identified nearly 500 suspects involved in related violence, using call records, video footage, and CCTV evidence, though only 41 were directly implicated in the train burning case.