Andhra Chief Minister and TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday hit back against YSRCP President YS Jaganmohan Reddy, asking the latter why he wanted him to be shot.
Addressing a crowd at Nandyal town last week, Jagan had said, "A person like Chandrababu Naidu should be shot in public.”
Jagan's comments triggered off a massive political response in the state, as several local TDP leaders also headed to their nearest police station, to file a complaint against the YSRCP chief.
Responding for the first time on the matter, Naidu was quoted as saying, "What would you call a person who says that the CM should be shot dead, hit with slippers, threatens a Collector that he will be imprisoned and a Police Commissioner that his pension will be denied? A maniac? Jagan’s comments reflect his mental condition. The people should understand and gauge the consequences if he were made Chief Minister.”
“Why should I be shot? Is it because I am working round the clock for the state’s development and improving the lot of the poor?” he asked.
The Chief Minister was addressing a teleconference with other TDP leaders.
Addressing reporters later, he remarked that even an education in the US was not of use to Jagan, considering the things he was saying.
Following the statement last week, TDP leaders lashed out at Jagan and demanded an apology from him, while YSRCP leaders continued to defend him.
"The TDP has ignored all the other things that he (Jagan) said and is continuously pointing fingers only at that one statement. He said that people (like Naidu) who played with people's lives and destroyed the state, should be shot on the road. However, he did not say that he himself will shoot or kill Naidu," YSRCP MLA Roja had said.
Following this, the Election Commission issued a show cause notice to Jagan last week.
The EC asked the politician to explain why action should not be initiated against him.