Then : Hate Courts, Now : Want Courts

From 2019 to 2024, when the YSR Congress party under the then Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was in power, the High Court of Andhra Pradesh struck down hundreds of orders about various policy decisions of the government. Every time Jagan Mohan Reddy and his cabinet came up with some decisions about sensitive and key issues relating to the changes in the existing policies, the Court had to intervene and make sure that they were not implemented hastily.

From stalling the three capitals idea in the name of decentralisation to declaring the decision to make the English medium unconstitutional, from reinstating N. Ramesh Kumar as the state election commissioner to granting bail to Raghu Rama Krishna Raju, there were many innumerable instances when the High Court had to step up and set aside the unsustainable and incorrect attempts by Jagan Mohan Reddy’s government.

At one point of time, Jagan even went to the extent of making explosive allegations against the then Chief Justice of Supreme Court NV Ramana. The YSR Congress party MLAs and MPs including Jagan has no other option but to dislike the court’s decisions and claim that Chandra Babu Naidu was influencing the judges. Also, many of their supporters resorted to bad-mouthing judges and ultimately paid the price in the name of cases.

It is no exaggeration to say that there used be a news about High Court pulling up Jagan’s government on one or the other issue every week in the last five years. The Opposition parties brutally trolled Jagan and his party over the unending love affair with Courts. Quite surprisingly, the same Jagan Mohan Reddy is now approaching the High Court to intervene for unnecessary reasons in just two months after the new government has formed.

Last month, Jagan filed a petition in the state High Court to grant him Leader of Opposition in the legislative assembly. This move received widespread criticism because it is quite ridiculous to expect ‘Opposition Status’ for a party which received just 11 seats out of 175 which is way less than the prescribed 10% seats in the house, a customary rule that is being followed even in the parliament.

Few days ago, Jagan filed another writ petition in the High court seeking to reinstate his security cover that was in force when he was the Chief Minister. He alleged that the current regime has slashed down his security personnel after without considering the threat to his life.

Many are surprised at Jagan’s volte-face about the role of judiciary. While in power, he disliked Court’s intervention in his policies and made unsubstantial allegations. But, he is now running behind the same Court very often to intervene in the name of justice.

Whatever may be the outcome of his petitions, one thing is clear that Jagan Mohan Reddy is finally coming out of his preconceived notion that Courts are biased..