Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

TDP leader, aides attacked

By Our Staff Reporter

KURNOOL June 18. The TDP district secretary, Jayaraju, and his supporters were manhandled by the Congress supporters at Laddagiri, the native village of Kotla Suryaprakasa Reddy, on Wednesday. The sub-inspector at Kodumur, Prasad Reddy, was allegedly assaulted by the mob.

According to reports, Mr. Jayaraju and a few others entered the village with the intention of holding a meeting in connection with the Jana Chaitanya Yatra. This was the first time that TDP leaders tried to hold a meeting in Laddagiri. The MP, K.E. Krishna Murthy, participated in the meeting in neighbouring Gorantla but returned without venturing into Laddagiri.

On seeing the TDP convoy, enraged Congress supporters attacked the vehicles and abused the leaders. A TDP leader, Hanumatharao Choudary, sustained splinter injuries when the glasspanes of the jeep were broken by the mob. The villagers allegedly assaulted the SI, who went to the village to give protection to the TDP leaders for holding the meeting. Later, the mob surrounded the jeep of the Inspector, Narayana, and stopped him from proceeding further.

Mr. Jayaraju accused the police of failing to give protection to them despite giving a formal requisition to them much in advance. However, the police ignored the plea. He said the police themselves should register a case suo motu since the officer was assaulted by the mob. Mr. Jayaraju said it was unfair to prevent ruling party leaders from entering the village. In fact, the Congress could hold meetings in Kambalapadu and Anugonda because of the democratic spirit demonstrated by the TDP.

According to Mr. Jayaraju, the Congress leader, Kotla Harshavardhan Reddy, had met him at a wedding function here today and inquired whether the TDP was holding the meeting. Mr. Reddy is the cousin of Suryaprakasa Reddy. Mr. Jayaraju said the TDP had been apprehending trouble at Laddagiri but wanted to hold the meeting to uphold the democratic spirit where everybody should have the right to speak to people, he said.

The meeting was scheduled for Tuesday but was put off to Wednesday as the police could not make security arrangements for the meeting. The incident is likely to trigger tensions in the villages of Kodumur mandal.

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