Tirupati: The holy city of Tirupati witnessed unsavoury scenes on Saturday as campaigning for the upcoming elections descended into violence, with party workers from rival groups exchanging blows in full public view.
Chaos erupted in the Giripuram colony when campaigners from the ruling YSRC and the opposition Telugu Desam-Jana Sena-BJP alliance held parallel rallies in the same area, leading to a confrontation as the two groups crossed paths.
According to eyewitnesses, the NDA candidate Arani Srinivasulu was in the midst of a door-to-door campaign trail along with supporters when they encountered an equally large contingent of youth, believed to be YSRC activists, who were campaigning in the colony. The two groups confronted each other and tempers flared, with workers eventually resorting to fisticuffs and exchanging blows. Srinivasulu's security team had to intervene to rescue him from the attacks.
This is the second such violent incident reported in Tirupati in recent times after a previous face-off at Doddapuram Street. The Tirupati Poura Samajam group strongly condemned the violence and sought strict action against the perpetrators, stating "This is a spiritual township, and we won't allow such rowdyism and lawlessness at any cost."
Both the YSRC and NDA camps traded accusations, with each claiming the other side initiated the aggression. YSRC leaders accused Srinivasulu's "Chittoor goons” of attacking their workers, while Srinivasulu warned of stronger retaliation if such attacks persisted, alleging the YSRC was trying to derail the poll process through violence and intimidation.
Both the parties also questioned how the police granted permission for both groups to campaign simultaneously in the same area. Srinivasulu's team accused the on-duty officers of turning a blind eye and raised the issue with the district election officer.
