Telugu Desam Party chief and former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu has been booked by the Mudivedu police in Annamayya district of Andhra Pradesh, in connection with the recent violence in Punganur, in which nearly 80 people including 63 police personnel were injured. Police claim that TDP activists indulged in stone pelting and attacked the police after they restricted Chandrababu from entering Punganur.
The former CM was touring the district as a part of his Yudha Bheri programme.
According to the police, 13 officers were seriously injured and two police vehicles were set ablaze allegedly by TDP workers. The TDP claimed that 20 of its party members also sustained injuries in the clash. The incident took place on Friday, August 4.
Along with Chandrababu, former irrigation minister Devineni Uma and 18 others have been booked in the case. Another case has been registered against TDP workers in Angallu for allegedly instigating violence.
The police have booked the case under Sections 120b (criminal conspiracy), 147 (punishment for rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapon), 153 (giving provocation with intent to cause riot), 307 (attempt to murder), 115 (abetment of an offence), 109 (punishment of abetment if the act committed is in consequence and there is no expressed punishment for it), 323 (punishment for voluntarily causing hurt), 324 (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous means), 506 (punishment for criminal intimidation) read with Section 149 (member of unlawful assembly guilty of offense committed in prosecution of common object) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
The FIR was registered following a complaint by Umapathy Reddy, a YSRCP leader. The complainant claimed that clashes initially erupted following a skirmish between the YSRCP activists and TDP activists. He alleged that Chandrababu Naidu had verbally abused them when they went to submit a memorandum regarding the Pitchalavandlapalle project.
Umapathy Reddy claimed that they were attacked by TDP workers with sticks, stones, bricks and sickles before finally being rescued by the public in Angallu.
So far, the police have arrested 70 Telugu Desam Party (TDP) workers for their alleged involvement in the violence. While police officials allege that TDP workers attacked them, TDP workers claim that the police instigated the violence.
Chandrababu Naidu has been touring the state as a part of his Yudha Bheri programme to inspect irrigation works and highlight the alleged inefficiency of the YSRCP government.
Four first information reports were filed against TDP Punganur constituency in-charge Challa Ramachandra Reddy, who is the prime accused in the case. Police claim that the violence was premeditated.
Additional Superintendent of Police of the Special Enforcement Bureau (SEB) K Sri Lakshmi and Deputy Superintendent of Police N Sudhakar Reddy Palamaner told the media on Sunday, August 6, that the the party activists gathered in the town and attacked policemen who obstructed them with stones, sticks, beer and soda bottles.