The Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu had a providential escape when the dais from where he was addressing a public meeting suddenly collapsed at Rajiv Chowk in Gadwal on Friday evening.
Mr. Naidu escaped unhurt while TDP MLA, Jaipal Yadav and few other leaders and workers received bruises.
Party leaders said over 50 handloom weavers moved on to the stage to meet Mr. Naidu even while he was speaking, when the mishap occurred. There were six other party MLAs and several leaders on the stage but most of them escaped unhurt.
Mr. Naidu who was helped by the security personnel, later said he was fine and asked the partymen not to get agitated. However, Mr. Naidu complained of lower back pain after walking just over a kilometre. He went into his van where doctors attended on him.
Balakrishna’s visit
Mahabubnagar Correspondent adds: As Naidu’s “Vastunna Meekosam” padayatra entered 25 day on Friday, his brother-in-law and film actor N. Balakrishna called on him at Amaravai village. Mr. Balakrishna reached the village in the morning and spent about an hour with Mr. Naidu in the bus. He later performed special puja for Mr. Naidu at Lakshmi Venkateswara Swamy temple at Maldakal. Interacting with mediapersons briefly, Mr. Balakrishna said he came to express solidarity with Mr. Naidu’s ‘padayatra’. He would take a decision on participating in it later and also gave an indication that his nephew and film star, junior NTR may also participate in the programme. Mr. Balakrishna later returned to Hyderabad. Meanwhile, Mr. Naidu reiterated that he had neither opposed the formation of Telangana nor spoke against it. “We have spelt our stand long ago, submitted a letter to a Central committee in 2008 and have stuck to it”. The Congress which is in power should solve the Telangana issue, but was unnecessarily blaming TDP.In fact Congress was colluding with TRS and YSR Congress and trying to merge them with the party , like it did with Praja Rajyam earlier, only to weaken TDP, he said. He addressed roadside meetings at Amaravai and Boodidapadu villages on the fifth day of his ‘Vastunna – Meekosam’ padayatra in Mahabubnagar district. On Friday, his padayatra began from Amaravai village in Maldakal mandal to Gadwal town – a distance of 17 kms.
