Andhra Pradesh CM Sustains Injuries In Stone-Pelting Incident During Vijayawada Roadshow

Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy was injured on Saturday in an incident of stone-pelting during his election campaign in Vijayawada, his office.

The YSRCP president sustained a minor cut on the left side of his temple while on his “Memanta Siddham (We are all ready)” bus yatra. This occurred on the 14th day of Reddy’s 21-day election campaign leading up to the polling for the 175-member assembly and 25 Lok Sabha seats in the state on May 13, with vote counting scheduled for June 4.

“A stone hit the chief minister while he was acknowledging the crowd as part of his bus tour at the Vivekananda School Centre in Singh Nagar, Vijayawada,” a statement from the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) explained.

Following the incident, Reddy was taken to the Vijayawada Government Hospital for treatment, where a plastic surgeon administered two to three stitches to his wound. He then returned to his night halt station at Kesarapalle in NTR district around 12:30 am on Sunday. Doctors advised him not to sleep on his stomach to aid in his recovery.

The YSRCP announced a break in the bus yatra for the following day, with plans to release the next program on Sunday, according to a statement from the party around 1 am.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his concern for Reddy’s health in a post on X, stating, “I pray for the speedy recovery and good health of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy Garu.” Similarly, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and DMK president M K Stalin condemned the incident, emphasizing that political differences should not escalate to violence.

Vijayawada Police Commissioner Kanthi Ratan Tata stated that the police are working to identify those involved in the attack. “There are some clues and we are analyzing the video and drone footage. We will identify them,” he said, adding that it appears the stone was thrown amidst the showering of flower petals by the crowd.

The YSRCP has accused the opposition TDP of being behind the attack, with party leader Hafeez Khan stating, “The TDP is behind this cowardly act because they cannot bear to see the massive response that Chief Minister Jagan is receiving.” However, the TDP has denied these allegations, calling the incident “stage-managed.”

TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu condemned the attack, urging the Election Commission of India (ECI) to conduct an impartial inquiry. “I strongly condemn the attack on Jagan. I request the ECI to initiate an impartial and unbiased inquiry into the incident and punish the responsible officials,” Naidu said.

In response to the incident, senior Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader and former Telangana minister K Taraka Rama Rao emphasized the need for peace in democracy. “Violence has no place in democracy and I hope strict preventive measures are put in place by ECI,” he stated in a post on X.

Following the attack, several YSRCP workers and supporters held protests at various locations across the state. Reddy had embarked on the election campaign bus tour from Idupulupaya in Kadapa district to Icchapuram in Srikakulam district.