Date:18/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/18/stories/2008051854230500.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Murder: Naidu blames Congress

Staff Reporter

Anam flays TDP for blame game

JANGAON (WARANGAL DT.): Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu held the Congress government responsible for the death of Kapatralla Venkatappa Naidu in Kurnool district on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference before setting out for campaign here, Mr. Naidu alleged that there were several other incidents in which Congress party leaders eliminated those who opposed them. Recently they had beaten to death a TRS worker in Shayampet constituency in the district.

“The Congress party wants to eliminate all those who opposed to them and gain an upper hand. But, people are aware of violence being perpetrated by the party,” he said and referred to the murders of Paritala Ravi and P. Siva Reddy.

Mr. Naidu alleged that the officials, under pressure from Congress leaders were trying to project the murder of Venkatappa Naidu as a road accident.

The TDP chief also criticised Warangal district Collector for not responding to his phone calls . “This is bad,” he said.

The TDP leader urged the revenue and police officials to be impartial. He said he was not blaming the IAS or IPS officers but the Congress leaders and Ministers who were pressurising them.

Congress reaction

The Congress party has said that there was no need for the government to shield anybody in connection with the killing of TDP leader and factionist Kapatralla Venkatappa Naidu in Kurnool district.

Reacting to the TDP charge that the murder was handiwork of the Congress party, Information and Public Relations Minister Anam Ramnarayan Reddy said Government would not spare the assailant. He said killing of the TDP leader was unfortunate and added that the Government had taken note of the incident and ordered a probe.

He said it has become a ritual for the TDP leaders to shift the blame on the Congress government, whenever some incident took place concerning their partymen. He pointed out how the TDP leaders tried their best but failed to implicate Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy’s son Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy and Panchayat Raj Minister J. C. Diwakar Reddy in the aftermath of Penukonda MLA Paritala Ravindra’s murder.