YSRCP MP accused of using convoy to hit capital farmer

Amaravati: Tense situation prevailed when a vehicles in the convoy of YSRCP Bapatla MP Nandigam Suresh hit one of Amaravati farmers who were on their way to witness Amaralingeswara Swamy Rathtsavam at Amaravathi on Sunday. The accident resulted in the farmer suffering fracture in the leg.

In a related development, a group of women, who hail from capital region of Amaravati, lodged a complaint with the police against the MP Suresh for allegedly abusing and attacking them. The followers of the MP, they said, had even prevented them from disembarking from the bus they were travelling in and threw chilli powder at them at Lemalle village under Tadikonda mandal.

Local people said a resident of Tulluru village, identified as Tadikonda Hanumantha Rao, suffered a leg fracture when the vehicle in the MP's convoy rammed into a group of devotees and hit the farmer. A video on the accident was circulated on the social media.

In another incident, the women JAC members were attacked at Lemalle village when they were going to the temple. They had earlier visited all the villages in the capital region, where agitation was going on. Their bus yatra started in Vijayawada and was on its way to Amaravathi temple to offer prayer for the protection of the capital city when the accident happened, said Gorantla Ramadevi, a JAC member.

She said she came from Prakasam district to extend solidarity to the farmers.

She said when the MP's car came, a section of the women raised slogans and tried to stop his convoy. Reacting to their slogans, the MP's followers used foul language and abused the women, she alleged. "The followers of the YSRCP MP attacked us," she said. She further said the MP's followers had thrown chilli powder into the bus they were travelling in. There were 38 members inside the bus and all of them were members of women JAC.

TDP senior leader and Guntur MP Galla Jayadev, who was at the Amaravathi police station, said, "I am in Amaravathi police station. We are filing a case against the MP Nandigam Suresh and other 25 of his followers who abused, attacked and manhandled the women at Lemalle. They detained the women in the bus, threw chilli powder, used foul and language on them. Some of the women who rushed to the police station reported the police about the incident."

Reacting to the allegations against him, Suresh said the entire episode was orchestrated by the TDP. "The opposition leaders attacked me in the garb of farmers. As they cannot digest the development and welfare activities promoted by Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, the TDP leaders are resorting to false propaganda," he added.