India News | After Murder of Local Leader, YSR Congress MLA in AP Attacked by Rival Group in Party
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. An MLA of the ruling YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh was allegedly roughed up by members of a rival faction in his own party in Eluru district on Saturday, following the murder of a local leader.
Amaravati, Apr 30 (PTI) An MLA of the ruling YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh was allegedly roughed up by members of a rival faction in his own party in Eluru district on Saturday, following the murder of a local leader.
Gopalapuram MLA Talari Venkata Rao, however, claimed the attack on him was perpetuated by the opposition Telugu Desam Party though there was rivalry within his own YSRC in the region.
On the other hand, the wife of the deceased YSRC leader blamed the MLA for her husband's murder, even as the police apprehended three party activists over the incident.
The MLA was escorted into a room in the local school for safety as additional police force was rushed to G. Kottapalli village under Dwaraka Tirumala limits.
Eluru Range Deputy Inspector General of Police Pala Raju and Superintendent of Police Rahul Dev Sharma visited the village to bring law and order under control.
According to the police, it began with the murder of local YSRC leader Ganji Prasad on Saturday morning.
MLA Rao went to Prasad's house in G. Kottapalli village to console the deceased man's family.
The rival YSRC faction in the village prevented the MLA's entry into the village and attacked him. Some YSRC workers beat up the legislator even as some police personnel present there tried to prevent the attack.
Tension prevailed in the village as rival groups hurled stones at each other, leaving at least one police constable and a party worker injured.
In the melee, police whisked the MLA away into a school building and kept him inside a room. As additional force rushed in, Rao was driven away from the village on a motorbike.
Deputy Chief Minister (Home) Taneti Vanita acknowledged that there were two groups in the party in the region and the attackers also belonged to YSR Congress.
Talking to reporters in Visakhapatnam, she said the killing of Prasad was unfortunate.
Later in the afternoon, three assailants, claiming involvement in the murder of Prasad, gave themselves up to the police. All three were identified as workers of the YSRC, police said.
"Situation in the village is now under control. We have taken up a detailed investigation into the incidents," a senior police official said over phone.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)