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Naidu survives assassination attempt
Tirupati, Oct 01: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today survived an assassination attempt in a series of landmine blasts triggered by naxalites at the foothills of the famous Venkateswara Temple injuring him on the nose, chest and collar bone while leaving a ruling party MLA Rajasekhar Reddy criticially wounded.
Tirupati, Oct 01: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today survived an assassination attempt in a series of landmine blasts triggered by naxalites at the foothills of the famous Venkateswara Temple injuring him on the nose, chest and collar bone while leaving a ruling party MLA Rajasekhar Reddy criticially wounded.
Four others, including minister B Gopalakrishna Reddy and one more MLA, were injured in the remote controlled blasts set off by outlawed People's War Group near the Alipiri toll gate on the Ghat Road to the temple.
Fifty-three-year-old Naidu, who is top on the hit list of extremists, suffered a fracture on his right hand, collar bone and minor injuries on his chest and nose as his bullet-proof Ambassador car bore the brunt of the blast that occurred at 4.15 pm on the high security Ghat Road leading to Tirumala. While Rajasekhar Reddy is in coma in the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, the Chief Minister has pain in upper chest, discomfiture in the abdomen and a shoulder fracture, G Subramaniam, director of the institute said.
One report said the Chief Minister's wife Bhuvaneswari had crossed the spot in another vehicle only a few minutes before the blasts.
Senior minister B Gopalakrishna Reddy, another MLA CH Krishna Murthy and Chittoor district TDP president Rameshchandra were among those injured and being treated in the hospital. The condition of Rajasekhar Reddy, who represents Puthur constituency in Chitoor district, and the Chief Minister's driver was stated to be serious.
The PWG, which has been conducting a violent campaign in the state for about two decades, planted six claymore mines and set them off one after another by remote control as Naidu's motorcade was on its way to the temple, Home Minister T Devendra Goud said in Hyderabad.
The blast ripped through the rear portion of the Ambassador car of the Chief Minister who was sitting on the front seat. The impact of the explosion was so severe that the car blew up several feet high in the air and fell wayside.
Incidentally, the Jammer vehicle to prevent remote controlled explosions was not taken from Hyderabad today in what is considered as security breach.
The Chief Minister was on his way to the shrine to offer a new silk 'vastram' on the 5th day of the nine-day annual Brahmotsvam festival.
"It was a claymore mine blast targeting the Chief Minister's convoy," Director General of Police S R Sukumara said. Bureau Report
Fifty-three-year-old Naidu, who is top on the hit list of extremists, suffered a fracture on his right hand, collar bone and minor injuries on his chest and nose as his bullet-proof Ambassador car bore the brunt of the blast that occurred at 4.15 pm on the high security Ghat Road leading to Tirumala. While Rajasekhar Reddy is in coma in the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences, the Chief Minister has pain in upper chest, discomfiture in the abdomen and a shoulder fracture, G Subramaniam, director of the institute said.
One report said the Chief Minister's wife Bhuvaneswari had crossed the spot in another vehicle only a few minutes before the blasts.
Senior minister B Gopalakrishna Reddy, another MLA CH Krishna Murthy and Chittoor district TDP president Rameshchandra were among those injured and being treated in the hospital. The condition of Rajasekhar Reddy, who represents Puthur constituency in Chitoor district, and the Chief Minister's driver was stated to be serious.
The PWG, which has been conducting a violent campaign in the state for about two decades, planted six claymore mines and set them off one after another by remote control as Naidu's motorcade was on its way to the temple, Home Minister T Devendra Goud said in Hyderabad.
The blast ripped through the rear portion of the Ambassador car of the Chief Minister who was sitting on the front seat. The impact of the explosion was so severe that the car blew up several feet high in the air and fell wayside.
Incidentally, the Jammer vehicle to prevent remote controlled explosions was not taken from Hyderabad today in what is considered as security breach.
The Chief Minister was on his way to the shrine to offer a new silk 'vastram' on the 5th day of the nine-day annual Brahmotsvam festival.
"It was a claymore mine blast targeting the Chief Minister's convoy," Director General of Police S R Sukumara said. Bureau Report