HYDERABAD: Telugu Desam president N. Chandrababu Naidu has condemned the attacks on houses of his party leaders by Congressmen and accused the ruling party of making a "mockery of democracy" in Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy's own constituency - Pulivendula.

Mr. Naidu told a press conference here on Tuesday that Congressmen tried to prevent the TDP candidate from filing his nomination for the single window election at Velpula in the Pulivendula constituency. When TDP leader Satish Reddy intervened, Congress activists tried to attack him with weapons forcing his gunman to open fire in which two persons were killed.

`Bid to create terror'

He said following the incident, Congress workers went on the rampage and torched houses of several TDP leaders.

"This is atrocious. All democratic forces should condemn it. They don't want any Opposition and are trying to suppress/misuse official machinery, kidnap candidates and create confusion."

Dig at Congress

He accused the ruling party of attempting to wreck all democratic institutions.

On its part, the TDP during its regime had followed democratic norms.

Mr. Naidu said he had convened a meeting of TDP leaders to formulate the party's response to the incidents.

The party would fight the Congress "democratically." It was contemplating highlighting the issue at the national level since it happened in the Chief Minister's constituency.

The TDP president criticised Dr. Reddy for finding fault with the party for the incidents when a delegation met him earlier.

YSR under fire

Meanwhile, a TDP delegation expressed its unhappiness at the response of the Chief Minister to the violence.

A party delegation told reporters after meeting the Chief Minister that instead of offering a solution to resolve the crisis, Dr. Reddy asked them if he could withdraw the police gunman provided to Satish Kumar Reddy, TDP leader of Pulivendula. The team consisted of Y. Ramakrishnudu, Ummareddi Venkateswarlu, Kadiam Srihari and

E. Peddi Reddy.

These leaders alleged that the Pulivendula violence was part of a larger conspiracy to wipe out their party in the area.

They justified the firing by the gunman of Mr. Reddy in which two persons were killed.

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