Attack on YSRC chief Jagan Mohan Reddy: Centre 'hatching conspiracies' against Andhra govt, says Chandrababu Naidu

Jagan Reddy was injured in a knife attack at the Visakhapatnam airport on Thursday.

AMRAVATI: Hours after YSR Congress president YS Jagan Mohan Reddy was injured in a knife attack at the Visakhapatnam airport, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday targeted the Centre and accused it of "hatching conspiracies" against the TDP government.

Hitting out at the Centre, the TDP chief and the state's Chief Minister said that the attack on Reddy took place in the VIP lounge in the afternoon and maintained that the state government had no jurisdiction over it.

"The airport comes under the government of India's control. If something happened outside, the state government would have been responsible but since it happened inside, whose responsibility is it," Naidu said.

If the incident took place outside airport then it might have been the responsibility of state govt but airport comes under the central govt. Then who is responsible?: AP CM Chandrababu Naidu on YSRCP leader Jaganmohan Reddy attacked inside Visakhapatnam airport today (File pics) pic.twitter.com/QnV8bI1NT4 — ANI (@ANI) October 25, 2018

The TDP leader made these charges against the Centre while addressing a conference of district collectors here.

Naidu also pointed out that the YSR congress leader had left for Hyderabad soon after the incident.

"Ascertaining how the incident happened is part of the investigation process but if the injured person goes away, how could our police go to another state and conduct the probe," he asked.

How would it be possible to investigate the case without a medical certificate, he added.

"It's all an effort to divert my focus. They may have partly succeeded in that but they cannot succeed completely. How to prevent us from working seems to be the Centre's thought behind hatching such conspiracies," Naidu said.

In a veiled reference to YSR Congress' allegation that the ruling Telugu Desam Party was behind the attack, Naidu asked how should it be understood when the same person, who wrote a letter flaying the state government and also put up flex banners proclaiming to be a Jagan Mohan Reddy fan, indulged in the attack. 

The blame game over attack on YSR Congress chief began hours after he was atacked by a man with a small knife-like object at the airport lounge while he was heading back to Hyderabad. 

Reddy, who is the leader of the Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, received a minor injury on his shoulder.

State DGP RP Thakur said the attacker was identified as J Srinivasa Rao (30), working as a waiter in the cafeteria at the Vishakhaptnam airport. 

The incident occurred around 12.30 PM, he said, adding CISF personnel immediately apprehended him and handed him over to the police after questioning.

YSR Congress party alleged a conspiracy behind the knife attack on its chief and called for a thorough probe into the stabbing incident.

YSRC, in a statement, claimed that the cafeteria at the Visakhapatnam airport was owned by ruling Telugu Desam Party leader Harshavardhan, who was aspiring to contest the next election from the district.

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Governor ESL Narasimhan sought full report of the incident from the state's DGP.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Suresh Prabhu too ordered a throough probe into the incident while condemning the attack in strongest terms.

Reddy was taken to the immediately taken to the Omega hospital shortly after his arrival in Hyderabad from Visakhapatnam. He is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital.  

YSRC cadre resorted to protests in different parts of Andhra following the attack on Jagan. 

Jagan, who was conducting his ongoing 'padayatra' in neighbouring Vizianagaram district, had come to the city en route to Hyderabad where he is to attend his weekly trial on Friday in connection with the disproportionate assets case.

(With PTI inputs)