YSR Congress Party ups the ante against TDP government in Andhra, insists on centre’s intervention and probe into attack on Jagan at Vizag airport

Close to a week after the attack on YSRCP chief and Andhra Pradesh leader of opposition Jagan Mohan Reddy, the political slugfest is amplifying. Not assured with the reaction of the TDP-led state government, a delegation comprising of members of parliament from YSRCP addressed media in New Delhi, just days after they made a representation to the Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh.

A delegation also met with General Secretary of CPI(M), Sitaram Yechury, seeking support in mounting pressure on centre and the state government to conduct a fair investigation.

While raising several questions on the probe so far, YSRCP leaders indicted the Chandrababu Naidu’s government of working with “ulterior motive of trivialising and making statements to misguide the investigation progress”.

On October 25th, Jagan Mohan Reddy, who was at the Visakhapatnam Airport to board a flight to Hyderabad, was attacked with a cockfight knife by an employee of Fusion Food canteen at the airport. Under the pretext of taking a selfie with the YSRCP chief, the assailant tried to slash Jagan’s throat, missed his target and ended up stabbing the shoulder.

Within minutes of the attack, rhubarb broke out between TDP and YSRCP over the political affiliation of the attacker identified as janipalli Srinivas. Later that evening, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, Chandrababu Naidu, had attributed political motives and accused the BJP and TRS of conspiring to bring down his government.

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Naidu had also questioned why Jagan left to Hyderabad, as scheduled, and implied that the action was to influence the investigation.

The YSRCP has been raising strong objections to the statements of Naidu and is now demanding an investigation by an independent, central agency. In his letter to Rajnath Singh, Jagan Mohan Reddy has said ‘ It is apparent that the State Government machinery is acting with the ulterior motive of trivializing this shocking attack on me’.

The DG & IGP of Andhra Pradesh, in his statement to the press, had claimed  that the motive of the attack was to gain publicity was contradicted in the police’s report to 7th Additional Metropolitan magistrate which stated that ‘accused attacked opposition leaders Jagan Mohan Reddy to do away with his life and caused bleeding injury’.

The YSRCP demands clarification about How the accused got the No Objection Certificate for working in the airport when there is criminal charge registered against him in Mummidivaram Police Station.

READ | Visakhapatnam Airport Issues A statement Over The Attack On YSRCP Head Jagan Mohan Reddy