Andhra politics stonewashed; stone attacks on Jagan, Chandrababu, Pawan Kalyan raise eyebrows

AMARAVATHI: Political scene in Andhra Pradesh seems to have been “stonewashed. Yesterday it was YS Jagan at whom a most want hurled a stone and he suffered a bleeding injury.

Today, a roughneck hurled a stone at Jana Sena president Pawan Kalyan. As if to complete the circuit, another trouble monger pelted a stone at Telugu Desam President N Chandrababu Naidu at Gajuwaka in Visakhapatnam. However, the TDP supremo and Jana Sena chief escaped unhurt. Naidu asserted that he could not be cowed down by such cowardly attacks.

However, the attack on Jagan caught the attention of the entire country with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Naidu, Pawan Kalyan and AP unit president of the BJP Daggubati Pursndeshwari strongly condemning the stone attack on the Chief Minister.

The Election Commission of India took a serious note of the attack on Jagan and instructed the DGP and Vijayawada CP to submit a report.

The TDP submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission of India to inquire into the attack on Jagan and bring the culprits to book. In the same breath, the TDP demanded the removal of DGP K V Rajendranath Reddy, Intelligence DGP P Sitaramanjaneyulu and CP Kathi Rana Tata charging them with dereliction of duty. The attack on Jagan created a stir in the state politics.

But stone pelting seems to have become an order of the day in the state.

However, TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh and Jana Sena and TDP cadres derided the attack on Jagan as orchestrated and repeat of Kodi Kathi attack on Jagan and described it as orchestrated.

However, Lokesh and Jana Sena reaction on the attack on the Chief Minister drew flak from all quarters as they remained in bad taste.

In fact, Jagan was attacked by a miscreant in Visakhapatnam Airport when he was heading to Hyderabad during his padayatra in 2018.

If this is described as a repetition of history, this is also is indicating that history repeats itself and Jagan’s victory is certain. according to YSRC cadres.

YSR Congress general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy came down heavily on the TDP cadres and alleged that the attack on YS Jagan was premeditated and planned by TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu.

Overall, Andhra Pradesh polity seem to be stonewashed literally and figuratively.

The YSR Congress strongly condemned the attack on Chandrababu Naidu. The party demanded an impartial inquiry into the incident.

The Election Commission of India stated that the vehicles had to be checked for stones and asserted that there was no permission to hurl stones at leaders in Andhra Pradesh.

Public meetings and roadshows had been marred by stone-pelting in the last two days.