Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad   

Gunman opens fire as Congressmen bicker

HYDERABAD: The game of one-upmanship among the local Congress leaders led to an unsavoury incident when two rival groups clashed, forcing the gunman of a leader to open fire in the air in Kapra on the city outskirts on Sunday morning. None was injured in the firing incident.

Over 150 workers belonging to two groups led by Laxma Reddy and Raja Reddy gathered at Kapra as part of the fortnight-long welfare celebrations launched by the ruling Congress party. Supporters of both the leaders began raising slogans and soon there was some jostling, police said.

As the groups jostled, the private gunman of Laxma Reddy whipped out a revolver and fired a shot in air apprehending danger to the life of his employer.

Crowds dispersed, but tension escalated in the area, as news of firing spread like wild fire. Police inquiries revealed that the weapon was a licensed one and that the gunman was hired from a private security service. No arrests have been made in this regard, though a case was registered by the police.

Upset over the clash, APCC president D. Srinivas has directed OBC department chairman J. Chittaranjan Das and the Ranga Reddy District Congress Committee president K. M. Pratap to submit a report immediately. Mr. Srinivas immediately telephoned the APCC leaders to know the details of the incident.

Sources said the APCC president expressed strong displeasure at the conduct of certain leaders, who were projecting themselves as prospective candidates for the Assembly elections.

Sources said after the delimitation exercise, Uppal, which was earlier part of Medchal, has witnessed stiff competition among the Congress leaders aspiring for the ticket.

Tension was increasing in such new constituencies, where the aspirants’ list was growing with each passing day.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

New forum for prohibition
Gram panchayat staff plan to launch postcard campaign
Begumpet airport turns a boon for tycoons
Former NFL MD held in Delhi
Separatists disrupt Andhra Development Forum meet
“PRTU compromising teachers’ self-respect”
Engineering student held for burglaries
YSR to seek Central funds
Discoms facing money crunch
MANUU enters MoU with AIR
Camp for devotees
Mallu Ravi felicitated
APLWB scholarship
Grama Sevakula body to intensify stir
Sop for Gandla, Telikula communities
TDP flays irrigation officials
Stringent measures to check red sanders smuggling on cards
CPI, CPI (M) to avoid mutual contests
Praja Rajyam forms ad-hoc committees
APSCHE meet to finalise CET
Gunman opens fire as Congressmen bicker
End of trauma for them

Copyright © 2009, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu