Naidu Hints YSR Was Involved in Assassination Attempt Made on Him

This comes after Jaganmohan Reddy said, “There’s nothing wrong with a person like Naidu being shot...”

In a sensational statement, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday hinted that former CM, late YS Rajasekhara Reddy, may have played a role in the assassination attempt that was made on him by the Maoists in 2003.

Naidu survived a claymore mine attack by Maoists on 1 October 2003 in Alipiri in Tirupati.

Speaking to the reporters during an informal media interaction at his office at Velagapudi in Amaravati, Naidu made several allegations.

He was quoted as saying:

It was with the covert support from late YSR that Kollam Gangi Reddy, an international red sanders smuggler, had provided logistics, in the form of a cell phone and money, to the Maoists for attacking me.

Chandrababu Naidu

Following the attack, Naidu's security was stepped up, and the state government constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT).

He further alleged:

After the SIT nabbed Gangi Reddy, YSR had made several phone calls to police officers to find out if he had revealed his name during interrogation. YSR took part in a protest rally against the attack only to evade suspicion and save himself. He wanted to meet Gangi Reddy directly, but police advised him that it was not good for a CM to meet a smuggler. So, he arranged a function in Gangi Reddy’s village and met him secretly.

The 2003 Attack And The Aftermath

In 2003, Naidu was attacked hardly 100 metres away from the Alpiri toll gate, which is considered the entrance to the holy hill town of Tirumala.

As he was travelling in a bullet-proof car, Naidu managed to survive the blast, but the exterior of the car was shattered.

According to reports, Naidu suffered fractures on his right hand and collar bone, as well as minor injuries on the chest and nose.

The attack was carried out by the People's War (PW), a militant outfit that had been banned by Naidu in July 1996.

Gangi Reddy was a native of Vathalur in Pullampet mandal in Kadapa district. As he controlled extensive crime rackets in the region during his stint in India, the police had issued a 'wanted' notice against him.

He was also an accused in several red sander smuggling cases and had several non-bailable arrest warrants piled up against him.

While 33 people were named in the chargesheet for the attack, only four of them were arrested by the police.

In 2014, the Tirupati civil court upheld another court’s sentence, that of sending Ramaswamy Reddy, Nagarjuna, Panduranga Reddy alias Sagar and Kollam Gangi Reddy to jail for seven years along with a fine of Rs 5,000.

Gangi Reddy was arrested in Mauritius in February 2015, following an Interpol red corner notice. Months after his arrest, he was brought to Hyderabad by a team of police officials. He was later sent to prison.

Also Read: PV Sindhu Appointed Deputy Collector by Andhra Pradesh Govt

Naidu’s Comments Come in The Backdrop of Two Political Incidents

Naidu's latest comments come in the backdrop of two political incidents in the state.

One is the Nandyal bypoll, due to be held on 23 August.

The other is YS Jaganmohan Reddy's statement, saying, “There is nothing wrong with a person like Chandrababu Naidu being shot in the middle of the road.”

On Tuesday, Naidu also hit back against Jagan's comment.

What would you call a person who says that the CM should be shot dead, hit with slippers, threatens a collector that he will be imprisoned and a police commissioner that his pension will be denied? A maniac? Jagan’s comments reflect his mental condition. The people should understand and gauge the consequences if he was to be made the Chief Minister.

Chandrababu Naidu responding Jaganmohan Reddy’s statement

Meanwhile, the TDP and the YSRCP are all set to clash in the bypoll.

Nandyal, a constituency in the state’s Rayalaseema area, has been witnessing a political void ever since the death of its sitting MLA Bhuma Nagi Reddy from a heart attack on 12 March.

The TDP candidate is Bhuma Brahmananda Reddy, while the YSRCP candidate is Silpa Mohan Reddy.

The EC announced that the counting of votes will be held on 28 August, and electronic voting machines and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) will be used in all the polling stations.

(With inputs from IANS)

(This article was originally published on The News Minute. It has been republished with permission.)

Also Read: What You Need to Know About the Upcoming Nandyal By-Poll in Andhra

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