Naidu should take responsibility: Taneti

PNS|Vijayawada

Home Minister Taneti Vanitha has expressed grief over the death of eight people in the stampede in a road show by Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday night. It is very unfortunate that some others were wounded and undergoing treatment. Reacting sharply to the incident, the Home Minister lashed out at Naidu saying that the TDP leader’s publicity craze has cost the lives of eight people. She pointed out that despite having 40 years of political experience and 14 years as CM, the TDP chief prefers public meetings on narrow roads that too at night. She said that a case has been filed in this regard and Chandrababu Naidu should take responsibility for the deaths.

The HM recalled that 29 lost their lives during Godavari Pushkaralu only because of Chandrababu’s mad publicity craze. She said that the public is criticising the TDP chief for his publicity craze and saying “Idemi Karma Ra Babu’.

Meanwhile, Tourism Minister RK Roja said the police should register a case against Naidu making him Accused No. 1 (A-1) in the Kandukuru stampede deaths, as it was his penchant for publicity that claimed eight lives.

“Naidu deliberately held the rally in a narrow lane in order to show that there were huge crowds for his meeting. Because there was hardly any space for the people to stand, it led to a stampede-like situation,” Roja said.

She said the court should take up this case suo motu and order a criminal case against Naidu.

“He should be booked for an attempted murder case. They were blatant political murders,” she said and demanded that Naidu should pay Rs 2 crore to each of the families of the deceased and Rs 1 crore to the injured.

Information and Public Relations Minister Ch Srinivasa Venugopala Krishna said Naidu had lost his mental balance. “His publicity craze took 29 lives during Godavari Pushkaralu in 2014 and now, he took eight lives. He has no vision at all,” he said.

YSRC MLA from Kandukuru Manugunta Maheedhar Reddy said the tragedy took place because of the flex boards erected by the local TDP leaders.

A similar allegation was made by former minister and Ongole MLA Balineni Srinivas Reddy.