KHAMMAM: The visit of former BRS ministers to Bokkalagadda in Khammam to interact with flood victims created tension with activists of the pink party and Congress pelting stones at each other.
The trouble started when former ministers T Harish Rao, Jagadish Reddy, P Sabitha Indra Reddy and Puvvada Ajay Kumar reached the area where some Congress workers gathered. The activists of both parties came face to face and they suddenly began throwing stones at each other. In the melee, Puvvada Ajay Kumar’s car was damaged. Learning about the trouble, the police rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
Later speaking to the media, Harish Rao alleged that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had lost grip on the administration. He said the chief minister, instead of rescuing the flood-affected people, was making allegations against the opposition parties. He said the chief minister was encouraging attacks on opposition leaders like the one that happened on Tuesday.
He alleged that the state government had failed in alerting people in advance and taking precautionary measures in time.
He said flood victims were literally crying when they visited them: “The victims complained that they had no water or food for the last two days. The government has no idea as to how to tackle floods.”
The former finance minister said that the government was downplaying the number of deaths. At a time when about 30 people had died in the rains, the government had put the figure at 16 only. He demanded payment of Rs 2 lakh as compensation to each affected family and Rs 30,000 per acre towards damage suffered by farmers. Later they distributed essential commodities to flood affected families.