Unidentified miscreants hurled stones at an election rally being conducted by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu in Tirupati late on Monday. The former Chief Minister termed the incident as a political conspiracy and staged a sit-in protest at the scene, decrying lack of safety even for someone who enjoys ‘Z plus’ category security like him.
Naidu blamed the ruling YSRCP for the stone pelting incident and lashed out at Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy for the attack saying that the government was trying to "threaten" the opposition. He said two of his party workers suffered injuries in the stone-hurling.
"The Election Commission should take a serious view of the incident. If a person like me doesn't have adequate security, what is the fate of the common people," he asked. Senior police officials spoke to Naidu and sought to placate him. However, he proceeded towards the Tirupati Urban Police Superintendent's office for submitting a memorandum.
ఇదే తిరుపతి కొండపైన స్మగ్లర్లు,తీవ్రవాదులతో కలిసి 24 క్లైమోర్ మైన్లు పెట్టి పేల్చితే సాక్షాత్తు ఏడుకొండలవాడే కాపాడిన ప్రాణం చంద్రబాబు గారిది.ఏ ఒక్కరూ బతికే అవకాశంలేని దాడి నుంచి తేరుకుని సహచరులు ఎలా ఉన్నారని వాకబు చేసిన గుండె ధైర్యం చంద్రబాబు గారిది.(1/3) pic.twitter.com/Y4DwMs4iQE
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But he was not allowed into the office. Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Supraja came out and spoke to him. Naidu said his party MPs would lodge a formal complaint with the Election Commission in New Delhi on Tuesday.
The TDP supremo was in the temple town campaigning for his party candidate Panabaka Lakshmi for the April 17 bye-election to the Tirupati Lok Sabha constituency. YSRCP leader and state Panchayat Raj Minister Peddiredi RC Reddy hit back at Naidu, saying the alleged stone-hurling was nothing but a drama to win public sympathy.
He wanted the police to conduct an enquiry into the incident and bring the culprits to book. Peddireddi alleged that Naidu was creating a drama with fear of losing in Tirupati. He said, "He is creating drama as he knows that his party will lose in the election. It is being done with pre-planned intention by TDP leaders."
Tirupati bye-election which was necessitated by YSRCP MP Balli Durga Prasad Rao's sudden demise is witnessing a three way fight. The ruling YSRCP has roped in Dr Gurumoorthy, Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s personal physiotherapist, while the BJP-Jana Sena coalition fielded retired IAS officer and former Karnataka Chief Secretary Ratna Prabha and TDP has fielded former Union Minister Panbaka Lakshmi.
With PTI inputs