Court grants bail to youth who allegedly pelted stone at Andhra CM YS Jagan Mohan Reddy

The court ordered Kumar not to commit any offence similar to the one he is accused of, among other restrictions. Further, it directed Kumar not to leave Vijayawada without the prior permission of the court.

Kumar ekes out a living as a construction worker and belongs to the Vaddera colony in Ajit Singh Nagar. As per his advocate Abdus Saleem, Kumar just turned 19 on 14 April, just the day after CM YS Jagan was attacked.

The Vijayawada  Police had apprehended six people, including a TDP worker, on 16 April for allegedly pelting stones at Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on 13 April.

Also Read: Stone-pelting against CM Jagan: 19-year-old sent to judicial custody, TDP worker in police custody

Attack on CM Jagan

On 18 April, Vijayawada Police arrested Kumar for allegedly pelting a stone at Reddy near Vivekananda School Centre in Ajit Singh Nagar when he was canvassing for polls on 13 April as part of his ‘Memanta Siddham’ (we are all ready) bus tour.

The attack took place when the chief minister’s bus reached Daba Kotlu Centre at Singhnagar. Hit by the stone, CM Jagan lost balance and was supported by his aides.

He sustained an injury above his left eyebrow as a result of the attack. Doctors sutured the wound on the bus itself even as the people and the media watched. On doctors’ advice, Jagan cancelled his bus yatra on Sunday, 14 April.

The police launch a probe immediately.

Vijayawada West MLA Vellampalli Srinivas, who was standing next to the chief minister, also suffered an injury to his left eye in the attack. Following the stone pelting, MLA Srinivas lodged a police complaint, which was treated as an “attempt to murder” under IPC Section 307.

Also Read: Four minors, two adults allegedly ‘apprehended’ in YS Jagan stone-pelting case

TDP blamed for attack

Srinivas also accused TDP chief N Chandrababu Naidu of resorting to debased politics against Jagan. “It comes as second nature for Naidu to resort to such heinous attacks,” he said.

Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy, advisor to Government (Public Affairs) had expressed surprise over the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) seeking an inquiry into security lapse instead of seeking action against the culprit. The TDP termed it stage-managed, he said.

The attacker would have the advantage since the assault was planned, despite the tight security. Except TDP leaders, all others across the country condemned the attack and sympathised with Jagan, he said.

The YSRCP leader said that Naidu began inciting the party workers after watching the increasing response to Jagan’s road shows.

He said there was a strong possibility of TDP workers behind the attack, going by the leaders’ statements, though he did not know who were the assailants.

Also Read: Day after attack on Jagan Mohan Reddy, spate of protests in Andhra as YSRCP blames TDP

Attack a sham, to gain sympathy, says TDP

Several ministers and leaders condemned the attack and blamed Naidu and JSP chief Pawan Kalyan. In Tirupati, TTD chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy staged a silent protest.

The YSRCP came down heavily on the TDP for what it called double-speak.

Even as Naidu condemned the attack and sought action against the officials for the lapse in providing security, the TDP posted pictures on the social media indicating that the attack was a sham and that it was intended to gain sympathy ahead of the elections.

In a post on X, Naidu condemned the incident and sought action against the police officers for the security lapses.

The post was made after Prime Minister Narendra Modi decried the attack and wished Jagan a speedy recovery.

But the TDP’s official media account compared the stone pelting with an assault on Jagan with a kodi kathi (spur used in cockfights) by a youth at Visakhapatnam Airport when he was in the Opposition on 25 October 2018, ahead of the 2019 general elections.

(Edited by Shauqueen Mizaj, with PTI inputs)