Tirupati: Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders alleged that the stones were pelted on Nara Chandrababu Naidu while he was campaigning for the forthcoming Tirupati Lok Sabha bypoll.
The incident occurred on Monday night, drawing sharp reactions from the opposition party leaders.
“Are they throwing stones from above … useless fellows, come I will show you. If there is anybody, come forward boldly, we will sort it out. Even the police are here. Don’t play games,” said Naidu from his open top vehicle at the alleged stone pelters.
He warned the pelters, saying “I will skin you if you pelt stones,” while taking the police cover.
Calling them anti-social elements, Naidu told them not to take it ‘as a joke’.
As Naidu warned the stone throwers, he called for the stone thrown at him to be given to him, which was passed to him by the people standing in front of the vehicle.
The TDP supremo raised the stone and said “rowdy rajyam (kingdom), rowdy rajyam”, which was reciprocated by his supporters who were listening to his address.
“Timid fellows. Useless fellows. I will show them my power,” warned the former Chief Minister.
As Naidu was warning them, some unknown person from the audience who managed to equip himself with a microphone tried to explain something to the TDP supremo.
All through the incident Panabaka Lakashmi, TDP’s candidate in the bypoll, was standing beside Naidu.
Later, the opposition leader got down from his vehicle and staged a sit-in protest amid speeches and loud chants.
Meanwhile, TDP state president Kinjarapu Atchannaidu said they don’t have faith in the Andhra Pradesh police and demanded that the Central government monitor the situation.
“Police enabled it (pelting) to happen. They made it happen. We are seriously condemning this act. The Election Commission of India (ECI) should immediately respond, we don’t have faith in this police,” alleged Atchannaidu, directing his wrath at a lone police officer.
The TDP state president warned that they will stop their protest only when a police case is registered against the YSRCP MLAs, ministers and Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy who were allegedly behind this attack.