ONGOLE: The Repalle gang-rape incident continues to generate political heat with the Opposition TDP leaders stopping the convoy of Home Minister Taneti Vanitha for a brief period at Ongole Government General Hospital alleging failure of law and order in the State. The Home Minister hit back at the TDP in the same tone stating that the opposition cadre were also involved in a couple of incidents involving attacks on women and does it mean that the party is encouraging such crime.
A day after the heinous crime against the pregnant woman, who was allegedly sexually assaulted by two persons after beating her husband at the Repalle railway station, the Home Minister along with minister A Suresh and AP Women’s Commission chairperson Vasireddy Padma visited her at the Ongole GGH where she was being treated.
As Vanitha’s convoy reached the hospital, TDP women leaders broke the security cordon and came in front of the minister’s vehicle and even hit the window panes of the vehicle in which Vanitha was present. Local police and the gunmen had a tough time to clear the path for the convoy to move ahead. The TDP women cadre jostled with the police for some time before they were pushed away from the convoy.
Speaking after consoling the victim, Vanitha lashed out at the TDP for trying to derive political mileage out of an emotional situation. “The couple took shelter at the railway station as there were no transport facilities at the dearth of night. The trio, who were in an inebriated condition, had an intention to assault the woman and for that, they picked up an argument with her husband and snatched money,’’ she said.
On police denying permission to TDP delegations to meet the victims, Vanitha said since the issue was a sensitive one and there was a need to maintain secrecy.
STATE TURNED INTO NARAKAANDHRA PRADESH: NAIDU
VIJAYAWADA: Expressing concern that the Andhra Pradesh people were being tormented with attacks, atrocities on women and migrations, TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu said the State has turned into ‘Narakaandhra Pradesh’ (hell state) under the ‘unjust’ and ‘oppressive’ rule of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. The TDP chief deplored that in just one month in April, over 31 attacks and atrocities on women have taken place in the State