TDP leader hacked to death in Andhra Pradesh’s Hosuru village
A senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader was hacked to death allegedly by his rivals at Hosuru village in Pattikonda block of Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district in the early hours on Wednesday, a police officer said.
A senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader was hacked to death allegedly by his rivals at Hosuru village in Pattikonda block of Andhra Pradesh’s Kurnool district in the early hours on Wednesday, a police officer said.
The officer identified the deceased as Vakiti Srinivasulu (45), former sarpanch of the village and a close follower of Pattikonda MLA KE Shyam Babu.
Kurnool superintendent of police (SP) Garikapati Bindu Madhav said that the incident took place when Srinivasulu was going to his fields at around 6 am. “The assailants threw chilli powder in his eyes and attacked him indiscriminately with rods and sickles on his head and neck, leading to his death on the spot,” the SP said.
Soon after coming to know about the incident, deputy superintendent of police Srinivasa Reddy and inspector of police Jayanna rushed to the spot and inspected the scene of offence. “The police found some beer bottles closer to the spot, indicating that the accused had planned the murder well in advance,” the SP said.
According to the officers, a tense atmosphere prevailed in the area following which police personnel were deployed to maintain the law-and-order situation. “We are investigating the murder from all angles – including the possibility of a family dispute or a political rivalry in the village,” Madhav said, adding that special teams had been formed to investigate this murder and an investigation was taken up.
Condemning the brutal murder of Srinivasulu, the TDP MLA from Pattikonda said the deceased was his close follower and had actively worked for the party’s victory in the recent assembly elections.
Suspecting the role of the YSR Congress Party workers in the murder, Shyam Babu demanded the police to identify the perpetrators and arrest the accused involved in the murder at the earliest. He consoled the family members of the deceased.
TDP general secretary and state education minister Nara Lokesh also strongly condemned the brutal killing of Srinivasulu, allegedly by the YSRCP mobs. “They had killed him because he had played a key role in the victory of the TDP in the recent elections. Despite being rejected by the people, Jagan (YSRCP president)’s gang is committing such atrocities without changing their old ways,” he alleged.
Stating that the tolerance of the TDP should not be mistaken as incompetence, Lokesh said: “The TDP-led NDA alliance will crack the whip against those resorting to such unlawful acts. The TDP extends solidarity to the bereaved family.”
In response, the YSRCP refuted the allegations made by the TDP leaders, including Lokesh, with regard to the Pattikonda murder. “It is shameful on the part of Lokesh to utter lies with regard to the murder of a TDP workers, when the police themselves said there was no scope for any political murders in the village,” the party said in a statement on X.
The opposition party said despite being in a responsible position of the cabinet minister, it was atrocious that Lokesh sought to blame the YSRCP workers for the murder. “He has proved to be a born liar,” the YSRCP said.
