Kandukur stampede: Naidu’s craze for publicity led to death of eight, says Jagan

Visakhapatnam: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy said on Friday that it was “Chandrababu Naidu’s craze for publicity” that led to the death of eight people in a stampede in Kandukur -- where the Telugu Desam held a road show last Wednesday.

Addressing a public meeting in Narsipatnam in Anakapalli district after laying the foundation for a medical college and the Tandava Yeleru reservoir canals linkage project, the chief minister said the TD organisers held the roadshow in a narrow lane that led to the tragedy.

“Why would anybody attend the Naidu meeting? What did he do to the people,” Jagan Reddy asked in a sarcastic manner.

Jagan said such incidents where people lost lives were not new to Chandrababu. During the Godavari Pushakaralu in 2015, Naidu was the “reason” for the death of 29 people. “Naidu had a film director next to him when the tragedy took place,” the CM said.

Jagan said Chandrababu was known for cheating the DWCRA members of the order of Rs 14,204 crore. “He is remembered for sacrificing the Special Status for AP, for his own survival in power. He is known for cheating the youth by not giving them jobs and he did not give the promised Rs 2,000 monthly assistance,” the CM said.

He said, “Babu’s rule is remembered for the bribes-raj in the garb of Janmabhumi committees and his failure to provide KG to PG education. People should not forget his words that he would cut the tails of BCs. This is Idemi kharma, this is Idem kharma Babu.”

"Just a day after eight people died in the rally in Kandukur, Babu resumed another roadshow in Kavali in Nellore district without any repentance. Instead of taking the moral responsibility for the death of eight innocents, he is busy pinning the blame on the public,” Jagan Reddy added.