Expressing anguish over the murder of party leader N. Subbaiah in broad daylight at Proddatur, TDP national general secretary N. Lokesh has pointed an accusing finger at YSRCP MLA R. Prasad Reddy, his brother-in-law Bangaru Reddy, and Municipal Commissioner Radha for the “vindictive act.”
Mr. Lokesh, who arrived at Proddatur to pay tributes to the slain leader on Wednesday, caught everyone by surprise by staging a dharna in front of the leader’s house demanding inclusion of the above names in the FIR.
Accompanied by, among others, former Minister Bhuma Akhila Priya and district party president R. Sreenivasa Reddy, Mr. Lokesh announced that they would not allow cremation of the body till justice was delivered.
Terming the murder an attack on the Backward Classes, he said the TDP leader was killed with a political motive.
Mr. Lokesh also referred to the alleged attack on the vehicles of TDP leaders at Thamballapalle in Chittoor district and the alleged attack by Tadipatri MLA K. Peddi Reddy on former MLA J.C. Prabhakar Reddy’s house.
“These incidents prove that the State is returning to faction politics after Jagan Mohan Reddy became the Chief Minister,” he said.
On the YSRCP’s charge that the TDP was trying to politicise the issue, Mr. Lokesh questioned, “How should one construe the signature campaign in front of the mortal remains of former Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy?”
Though the police tried to persuade him, Mr. Lokesh refused to budge till the FIR was modified.
When reports last came in, as the situation appeared to go out of control, SP K.K.N. Anburajan reached Proddatur to tackle the situation.
