Claims, Counterclaims:

• YSRCP alleges a rise in political violence since the TDP-led NDA took power in AP

• Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha demands specific details from YSRCP on their allegations

• Coalition leaders criticise Jagan for labeling a personal enmity murder as political

• CM Naidu instructs police to take stringent action against political criminals

Vijayawada: The allegation by the YSRCP on the alarming rise in political violence after the TDP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) formed the government in Andhra Pradesh has generated a lot of heat with the monsoon session of the Parliament and State Legislative Assembly slated to begin on July 22.

In an attempt to turn the tables against YSRCP, Home Minister Vangalapudi Anitha on Sunday demanded specific details case-by-case from the YSRCP leadership on its allegation on murder of 36 activists and over a thousand attacks after the NDA came to power on June 12.

In a vitriolic attack, she said it was ridiculous that YSRCP president and former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy is unable to stomach the fact he his party has been comprehensively rejected by the people for nepotism, inefficiency and corruption.

Coalition leaders including BJP State president Daggubati Purandeswari and Jana Sena Party State secretary Naga Babu criticised Jagan for trying to portray the killing of YSRCP activist Rashid Vinukonda in Palnadu district as a political murder even as the police finding confirmed it as a ‘murder due to personal enmity.’ Naga Babu, brother of Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan alleged that Jagan was making false allegations in an attempt to gain political mileage.

During his meeting with YSR Congress Parliamentary Party, Jagan announced the decision to stage a dharna in New Delhi on July 24 in protest against, what he termed as ‘vendetta politics’ in AP after seeking appointment with President Droupadi Murmu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. He has already sought imposition of President’s Rule in AP over his alleged breakdown of law and order machinery, which was immediately rubbished by the NDA leaders in the State.

Making it clear that no criminal, in the guise of politics, can escape from the law by committing crimes, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu also asked the police officials to initiate stringent action against those resorting to criminal activities. Regretting that the collapse of systems is resulting in the criminal culture being continued, Naidu said Jagan is resorting to spreading false propaganda in the name of political violence only because his very existence is in danger now.

Refuting YSRCP charges as ‘figment of imagination,’ the TDP national president said that nothing is important for him more than the maintenance of law and order and stated that a situation will soon be created in such a way that no one can escape by committing a crime. “People have reposed immense faith in us and elected us with a thumping majority. We all should stand by them and should show development along with welfare. Already we have taken a decision to implement five promises despite the State facing financial difficulties,” he said.

Naidu told his party MPs at a meeting at Amaravati that their performance will be reviewed for every three months on how much funds they could get from the Centre and the permissions for projects besides other issues. He directed the TDP MPs that they should also take necessary steps to meet the leaders concerned to ensure that the promises made to the State in the State Bifurcation Act are fulfilled. The Chief Minister also asked the TDP leaders to firmly rebuff the lies spread by Jagan and Co to expose their hypocrisy before the public.