The murder of Jagan’s uncle has triggered a no-holds barred sparring between the two parties.
Hyderabad: The ghastly murder of Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, 69, younger brother of late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy (YSR) at his residence in Pulivendula in Kadapa district in the wee hours of Friday, has turned into a political controversy, with YSR Congress president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy demanding a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into it. Jagan alleged a conspiracy hatched by the TDP leadership behind the murder.
While participating in the funeral of his uncle at Pulivendula on Saturday forenoon, Jagan said: “I suspect my uncle (Vivekananda) was killed at the behest of higher echelons of the ruling TDP and I hold Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu responsible for this murder. I have no faith in the probe of Andhra police and seek an investigation by the CBI or a third party agency.” Vivekananda was a former minister, MLA, MP and MLC.
Jagan, who rushed to his hometown Pulivendula immediately after coming to know of the murder on Friday, alleged that it could be the handiwork of the TDP which wanted to weaken him weeks before the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections. “I suspect Chandrababu Naidu could be responsible for this as well as for the death of my father YSR and my grandfather Y.S. Raja Reddy two decades ago,” Jagan said.
However, Chandrababu Naidu rubbished the charge and cast doubts over the role of the family of Vivekananda who had tried to tamper with evidence at the scene of offence. “This incident happened in the early hours of Friday and the immediate family members of Jagan who rushed there had wiped out blood stains and shifted the body from the bathroom to bedroom to destroy evidence,” the CM said.
Naidu felt that only the guilty in such crimes normally try to destroy evidence and the needle of suspicion in this case points to the family members of Jagan or Vivekananda. “I want answers to my questions as to why anyone should tamper with the evidence. Why they first informed the police that Vivekananda died of heart attack and later changed it to murder?” Naidu asked.
The situation has worsened between the two camps since Friday afternoon with YSR Congress Rajya Sabha MP K. Vijayasai Reddy blaming the TDP leaders, particularly local minister Adinarayana Reddy, for the murder. This was retaliated by TDP MLC Buddha Venkanna who alleged that “Jagan’s men could have done this to gain sympathy”. It was no-holds barred sparring between the two parties.
The charges and counter-charges by Jagan and Naidu regarding the murder assumed significance in view of the onset of the election process which has already created bitterness between the two. Vivekananda’s brutal murder also assumed importance as he was actively engaged in campaigning for Jagan and was expected to be filed as YSR Congress candidate either for Lok Sabha or Assembly from Kadapa district.
At the same time, the police, who had set up an SIT (Special Investigation Team) to nab the criminals, are examining all aspects besides the political angle. Vivekananda, a docile and low-profile leader, doesn’t have any strong opponents in Kadapa district, but local petty rivalries could be behind the murder, the police suspect. Kadapa SP Rahul Dev Sharma told this newspaper that the guilty would be caught soon.
A letter in Telugu purported to have been scribbled by Vivekananda minutes before his death is in possession of the police. In the scribbling, Vivekananda wrote: “My driver, is beating me to death…for asking him to report for duty early in the morning, I cannot even write this… driver Prasad should not be left, yours Vivekananda Reddy.”
Vivekananda was attacked with sharp weapons at seven places on his body and there were deep cuts on his forehead, back of head and hands and shoulders, according to the post-mortem report. He was first attacked in his bedroom and then dragged to bathroom where there was a pool of blood.
He was found lying in bathroom by his PA Krishna Reddy who came to his residence at 6 am. It was Krishna Reddy who alerted one and all, including Vivekananda’s wife Sunitha who lives in Hyderabad along with her daughter. Later, Y.S. Avinash Reddy, Kadapa MP and son of Vivekananda’s younger brother informed the police of the death.
The cops are verifying whether this indeed was the handwriting of the former minister. The police also are examining other angles like a possible revenge by an old factionist and also the rivalry from a local mining owner, in the murder. Already, the knife attack on Jagan at Vizag airport two months ago is under the probe of NIA, the murder of Vivekananda Reddy, too, will become an election issue in Andhra Pradesh.