Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy took a break on Sunday from his state-wide bus yatra after getting injured on Saturday night when stones were pelted at him.
An FIR has been registered under charges of attempt to murder, and multiple police teams have been formed to identify those behind the stone-pelting, Vijayawada police said. Officials said the CM’s security detail would be reviewed.
On Saturday night, when the CM’s bus tour – ‘Memantha Siddam (We are ready)’ – was passing through Vijayawada and reached the Singhnagar area, stones were pelted at Jagan, who was standing atop the bus. The incident occurred near the Vivekananda School, and Vijayawada West MLA Vellampalli Srinivas Rao, who was standing beside the CM, was also injured.
Jagan, who received a cut above his left eyebrow, and MLA Rao were taken to the Vijayawada Government Hospital for first aid and stitches were administered, officials from the Chief Minister’s Office said.
They subsequently continued with the bus yatra for around three more hours before halting for the night. Officials said Jagan would take a break on Sunday at Kesarapalli, also in Vijayawada, and would resume the yatra on Monday morning.
The Chief Minister’s 21-day campaign tour of the state comes ahead of simultaneous Lok Sabha and state Assembly elections to be held in Andhra Pradesh on May 13.
An FIR into the stone-pelting incident was registered on Sunday morning at the Ajit Singh Nagar Police station after police received the medical report from the hospital. The FIR was filed against unknown persons under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code. Police sources said that apart from scrutinising CCTV and live coverage footage, they were also looking at drone visuals, and questioning people from the area. “Based on Vellampalli Srinivas Rao’s statement, we are registering an FIR. At least 50-60 people were standing under the trees near the school and we suspect the rocks were thrown from there or from one of the windows of the school building… So far we do not have suspects,’’ an officer said.
Several leaders of Jagan’s YSRCP have alleged that supporters of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) were behind the attack. YSRCP general secretary Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said, “No one, however powerful, will be spared for this cowardly attack on the CM.”
Officials said that the CM’s security, especially when he is standing atop his special election vehicle to greet or address people, would be reviewed.
Jagan was previously injured in October 2018, when a waiter working at a restaurant in Visakhapatnam airport slashed at him with a small knife, causing cuts on his left arm.
