Escalating the political offensive against the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu accused the opposition of fomenting caste tensions, shielding criminals and spreading misinformation to destabilise the ruling NDA coalition.

During the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday, Mr. Naidu is learnt to have alleged that YSRCP leaders were deliberately organising caste-based gatherings and attempting to pit communities against one another for political gain. He urged Ministers to aggressively counter what he described as the opposition’s “divisive agenda” and expose attempts to disturb social harmony in the State.

Referring to a recent controversy in Kurnool district, the Chief Minister said it was unfortunate that the opposition had chosen to stand by individuals allegedly facing social backlash from villagers. “Defending criminals and turning every issue into a political campaign has become the hallmark of the YSRCP,” he reportedly told the Ministers.

Mr. Naidu also objected to what he termed repeated attempts by the opposition to drag Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan into unnecessary controversies. Stressing the need for a united response, he directed Ministers to demonstrate the strength and cohesion of the NDA coalition whenever confronted with opposition criticism.

The Chief Minister further asked Ministers to proactively rebut the YSRCP’s criticism of government initiatives, including the DSC teacher recruitment process, and counter what he described as misinformation being circulated on social media. He also instructed them to respond to what he called false narratives surrounding proposed data-centre investments and concerns over water usage.

During the discussions, Ministers reportedly said the family of Gade Sai Krishna had expressed confidence in the government’s handling of the case, while accusing the YSRCP of attempting to derive political mileage from the incident.

The Cabinet also discussed incentives proposed for five-star hotels in Amaravati. While Civil Supplies Minister Nadendla Manohar suggested that concessions should directly benefit consumers rather than hotel operators, Mr. Naidu argued that incentives were necessary to attract major hospitality investments to the capital city. Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan and Minister Kandula Durgesh supported the Chief Minister’s view.

Mr. Pawan Kalyan also suggested exploring avenues for generating revenue for gram panchayats through the utilisation of grazing and poramboke lands.