Minister Peddireddy accuses Naidu of provoking TD cadre to violence in Punganur

TIRUPATI: Minister Peddireddy Ramachandra Reddy has accused Telugu Desam chief Nara Chandrababu Naidu of instigating TD cadres to indulge in violence and orchestrating attacks on the YSRC workers and police.

Responding to the clashes between the ruling and opposition workers on Friday, Peddireddy said that Naidu's provocative statements had incited his rowdy mobs, some of them carrying guns in their cars, to descend upon Punganur.

The TD, in a well-planned manner, attacked the YSRC activists and the police and damaged the police vehicles, he added.

“Yesterday, at 10.30 pm, the TD leaders informed the media and the police that Chandrababu would not be visiting Punganur town and would instead take the bypass. The YSRC activists, who had organised a protest against the injustices they faced during Naidu’s TD rule, waited until the morning. However, upon learning that he would not be coming that way, they all dispersed.”

“Despite this, Chandrababu intentionally tried to enter Punganur the following morning to incite his party workers. The police intervened to prevent clashes. But the situation, as engineered by Naidu and his supporters, led to the clashes. They approached Punganur and provoked the people. They even attacked the police,” the minister said.

Peddireddy demanded that Naidu should be booked as the first accused. “We possess videos that show these heinous acts. We urge the police to book cases against Naidu and others,” he said.

In response to the incidents, YSRC district president, K.R.J. Bharat, called a district bandh on Saturday.