The kin of Sambi Reddy, the 65-year-old man who reportedly died due to a cardiac arrest while waiting in queue to buy subsidized onions at the Rythu Bazar, hit out at political parties on Tuesday for trying take "political mileage" from Sambi’s death.
Mallikarjun Reddy, Sambi’s son, clarified that Sambi’s death had nothing to do with onion prices – Sambi was actually waiting to buy vegetables after going to the temple when he suffered the heart attack. The incident took place on Monday in Gudiwada town's Rythu Bazar in Krishna district.
In the aftermath of the same, opposition parties had been blaming the ruling YSRCP for mis-management in providing onions at subsidised price and leading to Sambi’s death.
TDP, led by its chief and opposition leader Chandrababu Naidu, staged a protest against rising onion prices in front of Andhra assembly. The first two days in the assembly have also witnessed discussion over onion prices, and a war of words between Andhra Chief Minister Jagan Mohan Reddy and Naidu over Sambi Reddy’s death.
However, leaving the opposition red faced, Sambi’s family told the media, "The vested interests have tried their best to distort the facts and create story that he died while standing in a queue for buying onions at subsidised rates at Rythu Bazar, which is not the reality."
The family members said that Sambi had suffered a cardiac arrest 10 years ago too, had taken voluntary retirement as an RTC bus conductor, and was running a small business.
The family members also alleged that a section of media had approached them, and tried coaxing them to give a false statement that Sambi died while trying to buying onions so that the family could ex-gratia from government.
The Andhra Pradesh government claims it has spent nearly Rs 10 crore and bought 16,000 quintals of onions from Maharashtra. The subsidized onions are distributed through farmers markets.
On Tuesday, CM Jagan said in the assembly that arrangements are being made to provide subsidised onions across in all market yards in the state.