TDP, YSRCP in blame game over lathi-charge

Vijayawada: Both the ruling and Opposition parties, TDP and YSRCP are indulged in blame game over the police lathicharge and YSRCP functionaries attack on the Central Industrial Security Forces (CISF) personnel in Mylavaram on Wednesday.

After completion of Y S Jaganmohan Reddy's public meeting on Wednesday night, the YSRCP workers and the CISF personnel clashed resulting in injuries to the party workers and some police personnel. The YSRCP leaders accused the police of creating hurdles for passing Jagan's convoy by parking a truck on the route.

But the police said the YSRCP leaders have not followed the route map and tried to pass in other route. This created misunderstanding and led to clash between the two sides. The irate party workers chased the police and pelted stones on them. The police too retaliated and caned the workers, who ran helter-skelter after Jagan left the meeting venue.

Responding to the incident, Water Resources Minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao on Thursday alleged that Jaganmohan Reddy had provoked the party workers to attack the CISF personnel. He said the fear of defeat haunts Jaganmohan Reddy and he provoked the party workers to attack the police. He said party workers hurled stones and slippers on police and such incidents never occurred in Mylavaram during the past 70 years.

Devineni said Jagan came to Mylavaram to abuse Chief Minister Nara Chandrababu Naidu. He pointed out that Jagan was disappointed as there was no crowd and he provoked the party workers to attack the police.

On the other hand, the YSRCP leaders said their party was not responsible for the incident. Mylavaram Assembly constituency YSRCP candidate Vasanta Krishna Prasad alleged some local TDP leaders intentionally created problem by hurling stones on the police.

Briefing media at the state party office in Vijayawada, Krishna Prasad alleged the TDP leaders were instructing the police to create hurdles for public meeting of Jaganmohan Reddy. He said police erected many barricades to prevent the people from attending the public meeting. He said Devineni Uma would be defeated in the elections.