T Harish Rao escapes unhurt as crackers trigger stampede

Hyderabad: Caretaker minister T. Harish Rao on Saturday escaped unhurt when firecrackers burst by TRS activists led to chaos and a stampede-like situation in Sangareddy. He was taking part in a motorbike rally when enthusiastic supporters burst the firecrackers that let off a lot of smoke. Activists left bikes on the road and fled from the spot fearing a major incident.

Mr Harish Rao was travelling on a tractor and was accompanied by thousands of activists on motorbikes. He got down from the tractor later and walked on the road waiving to the crowds.

At this time, some activists started bursting of firecrackers. Thick smoke from the burning firecrackers engulfed the area, which affected visibility. People also felt breathless. This led to panic among people who ran helter-skelter to save themselves from  smoke which resulted in a stampede-like situation.

However, a few supporters of Mr Harish Rao formed a human chain around him to ensure he was not hurt by people fleeing the place, and escorted him to safety.

After the smoke was cleared and order restored, Mr Harish Rao continued the rally. His supporters heaved a sigh of relief after they realised that he was safe.

Addressing the meeting later, Mr Harish Rao lashed out at Sangareddy Congress leader Jagga Reddy, terming him as a ‘Telangana drohi’, and alleging that he had opposed the Telangana statehood agitation. He alleged that Mr Jagga Reddy had written to then AICC president Sonia Gandhi to merge Sangareddy in Karnataka or AP. He urged the people to teach a fitting lesson to Mr Jagga Reddy in elections by defeating him with huge margin.