Naidu sees YSR hand

Maoist-sponsored Alipiri attack in 2003

Amaravati: AP Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday alleged that former Chief Minister late YS Rajasekhar Reddy was the brain behind the Maoist attack on his life at Alipiri, the foot of Tirumala Hills, on October 2, 2003.

“It’s YSR who extended all the logistic support such as mobile phones and funds to the Left wing ultras through his supporter Gangi Reddy (also an accused in smuggling of red sanders) for my elimination,” reveals Naidu, 14 years after the deadly attack which he survived on his way to the hill shrine of Sri Venkateswara Swamy by car.

The Alipiri incident figured during a free-wheeling discussion with the bureau chiefs from the print and electronic media that went on for an hour at his chambers at the Secretariat.

He expressed serious concern over ‘leadership deficit’ in AP politics, targeting the YSRCP, while touching upon a range of issues such as his plans to showcase the capital as a tourist hub, promote river tourism involving the Krishna and the Godavari rivers and realize Rs 60,000 crore dream project of garlanding of rivers involving the Godavari, Krishna, Penna, Nagavali and Vamsadhara to benefit the water-starved backward regions of Rayalaseema and Uttarandhra.

The alleged role of YSR in the landmine attack on Naidu came up for discussion when the CM’s attention was drawn to the reported war cry of YSRCP leader YS Jaganmohan Reddy to shoot Chandrababu dead for his omissions and commissions at an election rally in Nandyal. Naidu said: “Jagan is a criminal by nature. That is what former CM Rosaiah indicated in a TV interview. YSR himself did not allow Jagan to enter AP politics during his period as CM, knowing fully well that his son was a threat to his position.”

Naidu went on saying that YSR during his stint as a Congress CM tried to weaken his security cover by denying accommodation facility to the special protection group (SPG) commandos. “I did not lose my cool when Jagan’s father conspired to kill me. Jagan’s talk inciting violence only exposes hallow leadership in his party,” the CM said.

Going down the memory lane, Naidu said he had to handle the worst-ever political crises and turmoil during his illustrious career in politics that included the infamous August coup against his mentor and TDP founder NT Rama Rao by Nadella Bhaskara Rao. He claimed to have maintained his poise even during such critical situations.

He said he maintained same levels of poise when his party senior leaders Paritala Ravindra and Siva Reddy were killed. Taking note of acumen and leadership qualities of the CMs in the past who included Channa Reddy and NT Rama Rao, Naidu noted with a deep sense of anguish the kind of sharp deterioration of standards that gripped AP politics.

Chandrababu said the Polavaram project will be completed before 2018 if the Centre extends financial assistance as per its commitment. “We have incurred Rs 3,500 crore on the project so for and the amount is to be reimbursed by the centre,” he added.