Political turmoil erupted in AP after TD's unprintable words on CM Jagan
Vishakhapatanam: Skirmishes erupted in the state on Tuesday following the TD spokesperson K. Pattabhi Ram using unparliamentary language for Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy.
As news of Pattabhi Ram’s statement spread, YSRC cadres allegedly attacked TD offices across the state, blocked roads and burnt effigies of TD president N. Chandrababu Naidu. In protest, TD workers set fire to effigies of Jagan Mohan Reddy and staged rasta rokos.
Naidu said several TD men were injured after a mob of YSRC activists stormed into the party office. The YSRC cadre were armed with sticks and rods and damaged the furniture and the windowpanes of the Mangalagiri office and Pattabhi Ram's house, he said.
Naidu complained to Union home minister Amit Shah and AP Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan about the incidents. He requested Shah for security and protection by Central forces for the TD offices. He also called for a state bandh on October 20.
YSRC leaders said that several party activists and mediapersons of a TV channel owned by the ruling party were attacked by TD workers
Denying that the YSRC cadre had attacked TD offices, party senior legislator Malladi Vishnu told the media that Pattabhi Ram’s words were the trigger.
Director-General of Police Gowtham Sawang requested the people to not get provoked. He said that strict action would be taken against those making provocative speeches. Nobody should take the law into their hands and action will be taken on those who do so, he said.
Additional police forces were being deployed across the state to take action against those who resort to attacks, Sawang added.
TD leader Nara Lokesh condemned the attacks and said the CM was paving the way for the collapse of his own party and government. Lokesh said that he postponed the opening of the TD office at Anakapalli that was scheduled for October 20.
AP TD president K. Atchannaidu demanded that Jagan Mohan Reddy should resign from his post.
Meanwhile, a tense situation prevailed at Hindupur MLA Nandamuri Balakrishna’s when YSRC attempted to barge in. Balakrishna had left for Hyderabad on Monday night.
At Kurnool, a call given by the YSRC to stage a protest in front of the TD office in Kurnool was foiled by the police who barricaded all approach roads to the place. The YSRC cadre burnt an effigy of Naidu and raised slogans against him.
Kurnool MLA Hafeez Khan and his followers marched towards the office but were stopped by the police, alleged Kurnool TD parliamentary secretary Somisetty Venkateswarlu. He said he had informed the police of the move by YSRC and sought protection.
Kurnool SP Ch. Sudheer Kumar Reddy said no protests were held in front of TD offices or leaders of that party in the district. The district was peaceful, he said.
