india

Updated: Mar 16, 2019 21:00 IST

YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy on Saturday met Andhra Pradesh and Telangana governor ESL Narasimhan in Hyderabad and sought a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the killing of his uncle Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy in Pulivendula in Andhra Pradesh’s Rayalaseema on Friday.

Talking to the media persons later, Jaganmohan accused Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu of trying to eliminate his family in a meticulous manner. “When the Chief Minister is behind the political killings involving our family, how can we get justice if our uncle’s murder case is investigated by the state police?” he asked.

Naidu who launched his party’s election campaign from Tirupati rubbished Jaganmohan’s allegations and said he was trying to get off the hook by seeking a CBI probe.

Also read: Jagan Reddy’s uncle Vivekananda Reddy found dead, case of unnatural death filed

“Jagan’s family initially said it was a natural death due to cardiac arrest. It later changed the version saying there are doubts over the death. Finally at 3pm the family said it was a murder suspecting our party’s role. When deep stab wounds on the body suggested it was a murder, why did Jagan and his family conceal the facts and keep changing versions. This points to a family angle in the murder,” Naidu said.

Jagan’s grandfather Y.S. Raja Reddy at 75 was killed in a bomb attack in 1998 in Vemula village close to his native Pulivendula. His father Y.S. Rajasekhar Reddy who was chief minister of undivided Andhra Pradesh was killed in a helicopter crash in Kurnool district in 2009 while Jagan himself escaped a murder attempt by a canteen worker in the Visakhapatnam airport in October 2018. His uncle Vivekananda Reddy was hacked to death on Friday.

Jagan Reddy linked all these events relating to his family to the CM Naidu’s “sinister game of political murders”, saying the TDP chief is trying to eliminate opposition leaders physically. “When my grandfather was murdered, Naidu was the chief minister. Chandrababu as an opposition leader threatened my father in the state assembly two days before the copter crash. And, again, Chandrababu is chief minister when an attempt was made on me. In this backdrop my uncle was killed”, YSRC leader said.

Jaganmohan also accused TDP Lok Sabha candidate in Kadapa C. Adinarayana Reddy of being involved in Viveka’s murder and said the police wove a “fabricated” story revolving around a letter said to have been written by the victim at the time of his death. In the blood-stained letter Viveka is said to have written that his driver Prasada Reddy had attacked him after being asked to be punctual in his duties. “Can anyone write a letter when he is being killed and soaked in blood? Is it not a concocted story,” he asked.

The YSRC leader said he had also requested the governor to remove Andhra Pradesh Director General of Police R.P. Thakur and Additional Director General of Police (Intelligence) AB Venkateswar Rao from election duties to ensure free and fair polling , claiming that the two officers are biased in favour of the ruling party.

Amit Garg, heading the special investigation team (SIT) probing the case, said the team will unravel the mystery shrouding Viveka’s killing by Sunday.