Andhra's U-turn on Appealing Tuni Arson Verdict Spotlights Clout of Kapu Community
New Delhi: The Andhra Pradesh government has quickly reversed its decision to appeal the 2023 acquittal of 41 people in the 2016 Tuni train arson case. This sudden reversal, made within 24 hours, throws into sharp relief the political sensitivity surrounding the Kapu community.
Events began Monday (June 2), when the Home (Courts-B) Department issued a government order (G.O. Rt. No. 852). The order directed the public prosecutor at the Andhra Pradesh high court to appeal the May 1, 2023 judgment of Vijayawada's VII Additional Metropolitan Magistrate Court for Railways. That judgment had acquitted all accused in the Tuni arson case.
By Tuesday, however, another order, G.O. Rt. No. 869, formally withdrew the earlier directive. The public prosecutor was instructed not to proceed with the appeal.
The initial G.O. reportedly prompted concern among political leaders. Deputy chief minister Pawan Kalyan, president of the Jana Sena Party (JSP) and a prominent Kapu leader, was reportedly displeased by the move to reopen a case affecting Kapu sentiments.
The decision to withdraw the G.O. drew public statements from Kapu community representatives. Chinamilli Venkatarayudu, Kapunadu West Godavari district president, was quoted by South First saying the initial move was intended to 'persecute the Kapus'. Bandi Srinivasa Rao, a Kapu Ikya Vedika leader from Eluru district, reportedly called the initial decision 'vendetta politics', adding that the government had 'hurt the feelings of the Kapus'.
The Tuni incident, central to these government orders, occurred on January 31, 2016. During a 'Kapu garjana ' ('roar of Kapus') rally in Tuni in East Godavari district, led by former minister Mudragada Padmanabham, to demand OBC status for the Kapu community, protesters allegedly stormed the Tuni railway station. Four coaches of the Ratnachal Express were set on fire and other public property was damaged.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF) later filed cases against 41 individuals, including Padmanabham (accused #1) and Dadisetti Raja (accused #3), then a Kapu leader and now Tuni MLA, under sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Railways Act.
On May 1, 2023, the Vijayawada railway court acquitted all 41 accused, citing insufficient evidence and procedural lapses in the investigation. The court also ordered disciplinary action against three RPF officials for a flawed investigation.
The Wire has reached out to Padmanabham. We shall update the copy once he responds.
Why is the Kapu community politically so important?
The Kapu community forms an estimated 15-17% of Andhra Pradesh's population, concentrated in coastal districts, particularly East and West Godavari. This demographic strength translates into considerable electoral influence.
For decades, some Kapus have persistently demanded inclusion in the OBC list, similar to agitations by Jats, Marathas and Patels elsewhere in India.
This demand often accompanies a sense of historical underrepresentation in political power compared to the Kamma and Reddy communities, which respectively provide much of the leadership and support for the Telugu Desam Party and the YSR Congress Party.
Kapu community leaders assert large population figures to bolster these claims for political power and resources. Historical analyses show various cultivating sub-groups (Munnurukapus, Balijas, Telagas) consolidated under the broader 'Kapu' identity, a term originally meaning cultivator. Pressures from the post-liberalisation economy also intensify these socio-political dynamics and demands.
There have been previous attempts to politically mobilise the Kapu community. In 2009, Chiranjeevi, a popular Telugu actor and Pawan Kalyan's elder brother, launched the Praja Rajyam Party. Stating 'social justice' as its motto, it won about 18% of the vote and around 20 assembly seats. However, the party was merged into the Congress immediately after the elections.
Pawan Kalyan, himself a major film star, began his political journey in 2014, initially backing the National Democratic Alliance. He later distanced himself, aligning with Left parties and the Bahujan Samaj Party for the 2019 elections, before later embracing a more pronounced Hindutva stance.
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