YSR Congress blames Andhra CM for killings of party cadre

YSR Congress party president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy on Monday blamed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for the killings of his party cadres.

He called on Governor Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy to complain about the growing attacks on his party leaders and workers and sought his intervention in what he called deteriorating law and order situation in the state.

The leader of opposition demanded probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the murders of YSR Congress leaders.

He briefed the governor about the situation in Anantapur district, where party leader Prasad Reddy was murdered on April 29.

Jagan, as the young leader is popularly known, said Prasad Reddy was brutally murdered in a government office in broad daylight.

The YSR Congress leader said police arrested YSR Congress leaders in the district for staging protests to demand probe into the killing.

He recalled that another party leader, Vijaybhaskar Reddy, was killed in the same district on March 31.

Later, Jagan told reporters that Naidu was using police chief to eliminate YSR Congress leaders. He said Director General of Police J.V. Ramudu was very close to leaders of the ruling Telugu Desam Party.

Jagan said eight leaders of his party were murdered in Anantapur since Ramudu, who also hails from the same district, took over in July last year.

Meanwhile, a shutdown is being observed in Anantapur on Monday on a call of the YSR Congress to condemn the murder and the subsequent arrests of its leaders. Police have tightened security in the district.