YSR Congress leader Jagan Mohan Reddy (Source: File)
The Andhra Pradesh government is considering lodging a criminal case against Leader of Opposition in Assembly and YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) chief Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy for saying that Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu should be shot dead. Addressing a public meeting at Nandyala in Kurnool district late on Thursday night, Jagan accused Naidu of not fulfilling poll promises and said in his closing remarks that there would be nothing wrong if leaders like him were shot dead in public. He said Naidu was not a mukhyamantri but a mukhyakantri (cheater in Telugu).
“Naidu should be shot dead for cheating people of Andhra Pradesh and his false promises and double-speak on every issue. Naidu made so many promises to farmers, women, minorities, unemployed youth, but failed to deliver. He is very treacherous. He is like a Kaliyug rakshas,’’ Jagan said.
Jagan was speaking during a campaign for a bypoll at Nandyala Assembly constituency, due on August 24. The bypoll was necessitated after sitting MLA Bhuma Nagi Reddy died of a heart attack on March 12. Nagi Reddy was elected on a YSRCP ticket in the 2014 election but moved to TDP in February 2016. His daughter Akhila Priya Reddy, who was elected on a YSRCP ticket from the neighbouring Allagada Assembly segment, also shifted to TDP along with Reddy. She was made Tourism and Culture Minister in Naidu’s Cabinet after her father’s death.
Calling Nandyala bypoll a war between justice and injustice, Jagan said that Naidu’s “Kaurav Sena” should be defeated. Jagan’s remarks invited the wrath of TDP leaders in Kurnool district and many of them lodged police complaints against the YSRCP leader. “How dare he threaten to kill the CM?’’ said Kurnool TDP leader S Rajsekhar, who lodged a complaint against Jagan. In Vijayawada, Krishna district TDP chief Devineni Avinash lodged another police complaint, and TDP workers burnt Jagan’s effigies at several places.
“Jagan has revealed his factionist mindset and violent family background. Criticising political rivals is fine but calling for their lynching or killing in public cannot be forgiven. This is how things are in YSRCP. Imagine what will happen to Andhra Pradesh if Jagan is voted to power,’’ Avinash said.
The state home department officials said they were scrutinising Jagan’s remarks and will soon take a decision on filing a complaint.
