The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Attack on Naidu: TDP blames YSR

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 28, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Attack on Naidu: TDP blames YSR

Special Correspondent

Telangana Rashtra Samiti activists come under criticism for targeting TDP chief

`If a leader of the Opposition having Z plus category security could be attacked in this manner, how can the Government safeguard the life of the common man'

HYDERABAD: The Telugu Desam Party on Friday blamed the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, for the attack on the convoy of the party president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, in Medak, saying he (Dr. Reddy) had failed to prevent his Government's coalition partner, Telangana Rashtra Samithi from resorting to such "demeaning and undemocratic act".

Briefing presspersons about the deliberations at the Polit Bureau meeting, the TDP leaders, K. Yerran Naidu, K. Srihari, Y. Ramakrishnudu and P. Chandrasekhar, said Dr. Reddy's initial reaction at Ongole blaming

Mr. Naidu's provocative speech for the incident exposed "his factional streak yet another time".

It was because of such comments that workers of his and his coalition partner, as well as the police felt emboldened. They said Dr. Reddy was forgetting the fact that he was heading a constitutionally elected Government that is duty bound to protect all citizens, irrespective of their political affiliations.

"If a leader of the Opposition having Z plus category security could be attacked in this manner, how can he safeguard the life of the common man. May be by such actions of indirectly encouraging sections to attack the leader of the Opposition, he wants to browbeat and decimate the principal Opposition. This process has begun with the elimination of Paritala Ravi and over 50 TDP workers."

Turning to TRS, they said it was strange that TRS workers were picking on the leader of the Opposition, instead of their coalition partner. They should direct their ire at the Congress and the Chief Minister for failing to keep up the promise of creating separate Telangana.

Meanwhile, the TDP has written to the Chief Election Commissioner to take remedial measures to curb abuse and misuse of power by the Ministers and to allow the media to cover the Penukonda by-election.

Attack flayed

Two Ministers expressed divergent opinions on the attack on Mr. Naidu. The Home Minister, K. Jana Reddy, has condemned the attack allegedly by followers of Telangana Rashtra Samithi.

Speaking to reporters here, the Minister said, the incident was unfortunate. He complimented the police but for whose timely action, the situation would have gone out of control.

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

Andhra Pradesh