VIJAYAWADA: Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy suffered an injury above his left eyebrow when an unidentified person threw a stone at him while he was greeting people from atop his bus at Ajith Singh Nagar in NTR district on Saturday night.
The L-shaped cut measured a centimetre each in length and width.
The Chief Minister’s staff immediately took him into the bus. A doctor travelling with him gave him first aid and Jagan Mohan Reddy was seen grimacing from pain. Police cordoned off the area around the bus and cleared the milling crowd.
However, unfazed by the stone pelting, Jagan Mohan Reddy, survivor of a knife attack at the Visakhapatnam airport in October 2018, resumed Memantha Siddham Bus Yatra in the city, where he has been canvassing for nearly four hours.
Soon after news of the incident spread, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several political leaders condemned the attack on Jagan Mohan Reddy and wished him a speedy recovery. Prime Minister Narendra in a tweet said, “I pray for the speedy recovery and good health of AP CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.”
“The stone struck the CM while he was acknowledging the crowds as part of his bus tour at Vivekananda School Centre in Singh Nagar, Vijayawada,” said a statement from the Chief Minister's Office.
Locals present said there had been no power in the area when the stone was flung at Jagan Mohan Reddy.
It is yet to be known whether the power cut had been accidental or intentional. Some reports suggest that a catapult had been used to fling the stone.
However, doctors say in such a case, the injury would have been severe owing to its force.
It may be recalled that on October 25, 2019, Jagan Mohan Reddy suffered minor injuries after being stabbed at the Vishakhapatnam airport by a hotel employee. The attacker, J Sriniwas Rao, 30, claimed to be his big fan. Jagan Mohan Reddy sustained a bleeding injury on his left shoulder after being stabbed with a small blade used in traditional bird fights.
YSR Congress MLA Vellampalli Srinivas who also sustained injury in the attack on CM said, “Naidu is to be blamed for the attack and as he is habituated to backstabbing. Naidu is also involved in murder of Vangaveeti Mohana Rao earlier. Naidu is adopting murderous politics.”
Ajith Singh Nagar police said they are collecting CCTV footage of the area to trace suspects and catch those responsible.
YSRC MLA Vellampalli Srinivas also suffered a minor injury, as he had been standing next to the Chief Minister.
Some reports suggest that Telugu Desam is involved in the attack, as the party is unable to digest the kind of response Jagan Mohan Reddy was receiving from the general public. Protests broke out at several places with YSRC cadres holding posters alleging the role of TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu.
In Guntur, the YSR Congress supporters raised slogans denouncing Naidu, TD general secretary Nara Lokesh and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan for conspiring to attack the CM. They hit flexis having the photos of the three leaders with slippers and later burnt it.
AP Congress chief YS Sharmila Reddy condemned the attack on Jagan Reddy and said, “It is unfortunate that the CM was attacked and injury while on his poll campaign. We think it was an accident and if someone did it intentionally, everybody should condemn it. Democracy has no pace and I am praying to God for his quick recovery,’ in a tweet on ‘X’.
Minister Gudivada Amarnath opined that if Naidu was of the opinion that such acts of violence could deter the Jagan Mohan Reddy it could be his foolishness. Minister Ch. Venugopala Krishna said, “Given huge success for Memantha Siddham programme, the Opposition parties were getting worried and resorting to such an attack.”
YSR Congress leader Kesineni alleged conspiracy by the TD and felt the need for a thorough probe on the attack.
BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao and BRS leader T. Harish Rao have condemned the attack on the AP CM, calling it cowardly. They demanded that ECI take strict preventive measures.
