Man labelled antisocial', thrashed at Naidu's meet

TIRUPATI: In a classic case of an innocent person falling victim to the smear campaign by political parties, a 58-year-old man was thrashed by cadres of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) at the public meeting of former Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu in Kuppam on Friday.

Shouting at the victim - identified as Mohan, an employee working with tourism department - that he was trying to hurl a bomb on Naidu, the TDP cadres thrashed him and caused injuries. All he did was put his hand in his bag and try to take out mobile phone to click the picture of Naidu, at a time when the TDP chief was accusing YSRC leaders of threatening him that they would hurl a bomb on his car if he visited Kuppam.  

According to sources, the tourism employee, who was suspected as an anti-social element by the TDP workers, in reality came to Kuppam to meet Naidu to share his grievance. Mohan reportedly sought the help of a TDP leader in Kuppam to arrange an appointment to meet the party chief for submitting his grievances.

However, Mohan, who attended the public meeting of Naidu, was thrashed by the TDP workers after they suspected him as an antisocial element belonging to the ruling party. Eye witnesses said Palamaner DSP C.M. Gangaiah, CI Sadiq Ali and team, who were at the meeting, reacted swiftly and rescued the tourism employee from the attack, otherwise the situation might have turned worse.

“Someone in the public shouted that the 58-year-old was trying to take a bomb from his bag to hurl it on Chandrababu Naidu. On hearing this, other people started beating him. We reacted quickly and rescued the man from the attack. He was later shifted to hospital for treatment and now he is doing well,” Sadiq Ali told this correspondent.

Meanwhile, the police are trying to identify the persons, who aired bomb rumour and thrashed the tourism employee. “Strict action will be taken against the people spreading rumours, and attacking innocent people,” the police said.