Alleged attack on Chandragiri MLA is stage-managed, says YSRCP leader citing medical records

YSRCP leader and former Chandragiri MLA Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy calling on party worker Kapileswara Reddy who was injured in an attack, in Tirupati on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: BY ARRANGEMENT

The running feud between the Chandragiri TDP MLA Pulivarthi Nani and his predecessor Chevireddy Bhaskar Reddy of the YSR Congress Party escalated on Sunday, with the latter producing the medical records to call Mr. Nani’s injuries sustained during the ‘attack’ on his car as ‘stage-managed’.

It may be recalled that Chandragiri had witnessed retaliatory attack of the highest order in the State immediately after the elections, where Mr. Nani’s car had come under violent attack when he was proceeding to the strongroom to check the safety of the stored EVMs.

The MLA alleged that it was an attempt to murder him by the YSRCP activists and was rushed to Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS) for the serious injuries sustained in the melee. Top administrative heads rolled as several police officials were placed under suspension for the unexpected attack.

However, Mr. Bhaskar Reddy claimed the attack as having nothing to do with the YSRCP. The YSRCP leader also produced medical records from SVIMS, where Mr. Nani received treatment, and found his condition reportedly mentioned as ‘normal’.

The back-to-back press conferences by the rival camps for over a week reached a crescendo on Sunday, with Mr. Reddy’s accusation that the entire issue had been stage-managed by the TDP leader and that the hospitalisation episode was to gain sympathy.

Responding to the charge, Mr. Nani and his spouse Pulivarthi Sudha Reddy, who was also present during the attack, accused Mr. Bhaskar Reddy in separate press conferences of attempting to ‘trivialise a murder attack’.

While Mr. Bhaskar Reddy objected to the naming of his son and Chandragiri YSRCP candidate Chevireddy Mohith Reddy as an accused in the case of violence, Mr. Nani said the ‘baseless charges’ levelled by the former against him were meant to save his son from imminent arrest for his involvement in the attack.