ONGOLE: Four persons, including a police constable and a woman, sustained injuries after cadres of the ruling Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) resorted to stone pelting, as a tense situation prevailed in Podili town of Prakasam district during former Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy’s visit to the tobacco auction centre on Wednesday.
The incident began when TDP women activists attempted to release black balloons in protest at Jagan Mohan Reddy’s convoy, expressing anger their over derogatory remarks made by political analyst V V R Krishnam Raju during a TV debate hosted by Kommineni Srinivasa Rao on a vernacular channel owned by the YSRCP president.
It took nearly 45 to 50 minutes for the YSRCP chief’s convoy to reach the tobacco auction centre from the helipad. At the China Bus Stand Centre, TDP activists attempted to stop the former Chief Minister’s convoy by displaying placards and raising slogans such as “Jagan, Go Back.”
Some unidentified individuals threw slippers and stones at the YSRCP roadshow. In retaliation, YSRCP supporters threw water bottles.
Lokesh condemns stone-pelting, warns YSRCP cadre of action
This led to stone pelting from both sides, and tension prevailed in the area for about half an hour, resulting in injuries to four people, including a police constable, a woman, and two others. All the injured were immediately shifted to the local government hospital for treatment.
The police acted swiftly and brought the situation under control with a brief lathi charge. Once the situation returned to normal, the former Chief Minister continued his scheduled tour of Podili.
He arrived at the Podili helipad around 11:25 am and proceeded to the tobacco board auction centre. After interacting with tobacco growers as scheduled, he returned safely by helicopter at around 2:05 pm.
Minister for HRD and IT Nara Lokesh condemned the stone-pelting incident in Podili and warned of strict action against the YSRCP cadre for resorting to violence.
“I strongly condemn the attack by YCP goons on women and police who were peacefully protesting in Podili. Those who attacked women and police with stones will be punished severely. Jagan Reddy recently consoled the ganja batch rowdies in Tenali, and now he’s supporting those who insulted women, calling them prostitutes. He threw his own mother and sister out of the house, dragged them to court, and spread malicious rumours about his sister’s birth. It’s wishful thinking to expect him to respect women. Jagan Reddy should unconditionally apologize for the words spoken by YCP leaders against women and for the attack on women in Podi
Naidu slams Jagan for violence during Podili visit
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed strong displeasure at YSRCP president Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy for allegedly disturbing law and order under the pretext of consoling farmers in Podili, Prakasam district, on Wednesday.
Taking serious note of the stone-pelting incident that injured women and police personnel, the Chief Minister directed DGP Harish Kumar Gupta to gather evidence against those involved and take action as per the law.
Questioning the need for mass mobilisation for a visit to console farmers, Naidu asked whether Jagan’s yatra was truly meant to console farmers or to incite violence against women and the police. “There is no place for such incidents in my government,” the Chief Minister asserted.
He emphasized that the government has been granting permissions for political visits wherever requested, but warned that committing crimes under the guise of politics would not be tolerated. He instructed the police to deal firmly with such actions.