YSRC chief Jagan Mohan Reddy greets an aged voter during his poll campaign at Deebaguntla in Nandyal on Thursday| Express
NANDYAL :Despite being served EC notices for having said there was nothing wrong in “shooting down” Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, an unfazed Jagan on Thursday said people like Naidu who weren’t true to their word deserved to be hanged.The YSRC chief was addressing a public meet during his election campaign at Deebaguntla in Nandyal when he passed the comment and alleged that the Chief Minister was a compulsive liar.“You (Naidu) have become agitated after a single remark of mine at a recent public meeting. The YSRC will continue to confront you and question you over the promises you renege on. We will keep asking what punishment should be given for cheating the people. Since you are used to deceiving people for political gains, we will keep saying that there is nothing wrong if you are hanged,” the YSRC chief lashed out at Naidu.
Meanwhile, Jagan’s second outburst evoked a rash of protests from the Telugu Desam Party. An incensed Tourism Minister Bhuma Akhila Priya, whose cousin Bhuma Brahmananda Reddy is TDP’s nominee for the byelection, staged a protest here condemning the comments.She threatened to approach the Election Commission seeking notices against Jagan for his “malicious” comments. “We have already lodged a complaint with the Returning Officer,” she said.
Agriculture Minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy said it was time the EC took “a very serious note” of the Opposition leader’s remarks that had “crossed all limits of decency”. If the EC does not react, we may have to agitate, he said and alleged that Jagan’s campaign was “most heinous, repulsive and disgusting”.In a bizarre protest in Nellore, TDP workers gave a Jagan Mohan Reddy look-alike a toy rifle and threw tomatoes and eggs at him. The man was then chased through the streets.
Will take stern action if MCC violated: CEO
The Chief Electoral Officer on Thursday said he had asked the district Collector to send him the footage of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and Opposition leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy’s speeches. “I will watch the videos and if there is any violation of the model code of conduct, then the Election Commission will take stern action,” Lal said, while appealing to political leaders to maintain decency during the election campaign.
