india

Updated: Aug 04, 2017 20:20 IST

YSR Congress party president YS Jaganmohan Reddy has kicked up a political controversy by saying Telugu Desam Party president and Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu should be shot dead in public for cheating people with his double speak and empty promises.

Jagan made these comments while addressing an election meeting at SPG Grounds at Nandyal town in Kurnool district on Thursday evening. Nandyal assembly constituency is going for by-elections on August 23, following the death of its sitting MLA Bhuma Nagi Reddy recently.

Reddy said Naidu had failed to implement on even a single promise he had made to the various sections of people including farmers, women, unemployed, and minorities.

“The chief minister is known for his duplicity, double-dealing and treachery. And now, he is coming before you to seek votes again. There is nothing wrong if people like Naidu are gunned down on streets in public glare,” Jagan said. “He is not a mukhyamantri (chief minister) but a mukhyakantri (chief looter),” he added.

Alleging that Naidu had amassed a huge wealth of over Rs 3.5 lakh crore by indulging in various scams right from land pooling in Amaravati to illegal sand mining, Reddy said the TDP president had lured 21 YSR Congress party MLAs into his party by offering them posts and cash.

“The people should take a vow to eliminate this Kaliyuga Rakshas,” the opposition leader said.

Describing Nandyal by-election as a war between justice and injustice, Reddy called upon the people to defeat Naidu’s Kaurava Sena.

His aggressive rhetoric evoked a sharp reaction from the TDP leaders. Kurnool Zilla Parishad chairperson and senior TDP leader Rajasekhar on Friday lodged a complaint with the district police seeking action against Jagan for threatening to kill the chief minister.

In Vijayawada, district TDP leader Devineni Avinash, too, filed a complaint with the police against Jagan. The TDP’s workers burnt Jagan’s effigy in protest against his comments.

“It clearly shows the violent mindset of Jagan, who came from a factionist background. There is nothing wrong in making the political criticism, but stating that he would shoot down the TDP president on the streets is something unpardonable. One can imagine how the law and order situation in the state would be if Jagan is really voted to power in the next elections,” Avinash said.

YSRC legislator RK Roja, however, defended Jagan’s comments.

“One should not take the comments in a negative perspective. What our party president was saying was that people like Naidu should be pulled up for cheating the voters,” she explained.