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Naidu defers white paper on law and order after YSRCP activist’s brutal murder
Palnadu district superintendent of police Kanchi Srinivasa Rao ruled out any political motives behind the murder of YSRCP youth wing leader Sheikh Rasheed
HYDERABAD: Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu put off a scheduled release of the state government’s white paper on the law and order situation on Thursday afternoon after the opposition YSR Congress stepped up its attack on the Telugu Desam Party (TDP), alleging that the man seen brutally killing a YSR Congress activist on a busy road was a member of the ruling party.
YSRCP youth wing leader Sheikh Rasheed (27) was hacked to death by Sheikh Jilani at about 8:30pm on Wednesday at a crowded Mandlamudi bus stand in Vinukonda town of Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu district. In a widely-circulated video that captured the murder, Jilani is seen wielding a machete and cutting off Rasheed’s hands before attacking him on the neck. Rasheed was rushed to a local hospital but did not survive.
Palnadu district superintendent of police Kanchi Srinivasa Rao ruled out any political motives behind the murder. “According to preliminary information, the murder was purely due to personal rivalry between the deceased and the accused,” he said.
Rao added that Jilani fled after committing the murder and was missing. “A manhunt had been launched to arrest the accused.”
Prohibitory orders have been imposed in Vinukonda town to maintain peace.
As the YSR Congress sought to corner the TDP over the murder, the state government issued a statement declaring that the white paper on law and order in the state, apart from excise policy and state finances, would be released in the state assembly during the upcoming budget session starting July 23.
Previously, the white paper was scheduled to be released at 3pm.
The TDP also rebutted YSR Congress claims that Sheikh Jilani was its member, saying both Rasheed and Jilani were YSRCP workers.
TDP official spokesman and MLC G Deepak Reddy said there was no truth in the YSRCP’s allegations about its involvement. “This is untrue. Police have investigated the matter. It was a dispute between two friends and both belonged to YSRCP. The Opposition is falsely accusing TDP,” he said.
The YSRCP continued to attack the TDP, describing the accused, Jilani as a TDP goon “who transformed into an anthropomorphic monster”. “Vinukonda YSRCP youth wing leader Rashid was viciously attacked with a knife, leading to severe injuries to both his hands and a fatal neck wound. Rashid tragically died while receiving treatment in the hospital,” the party said.
YSRCP president and former chief minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, who was in Bengaluru for the last two days, returned to Tadepalli and said \he would call on Rasheed’s family at Vinukonda on Friday.
On X, Jagan accused TDP of resorting to such barbaric acts only to oppress YSRC. “There is no protection for the people’s lives. Within a month and a half of the coming of the new government, Andhra Pradesh has become the address of murders, rapes, attacks and vandalism by political parties,” he said.
Jagan added: “Yesterday’s Vinukonda murder incident is the culmination of this. This atrocious incident on the road is a shame for the government. People who should act responsibly, including the chief minister, are encouraging such atrocities with political ulterior motives. On whose authority, did they implement the ‘Red Book Constitution’ and weaken all the mechanisms including the police?”
Home minister Vangalapudi Anitha hit back, alleging that the Vinukonda incident smacked of a conspiracy by the YSRCP to create unrest and to defame the Chandrababu Naidu government. “In the last five years, there was utter lawlessness in the state. Not just the TDP, Jana Sena and the BJP leaders, even common people had faced troubles from YSRCP leaders,” she said, urging people not to take law into their hands and create troubles in the society.
“We shall not spare anyone, irrespective of their political affiliation, if they create a law-and-order problem,” he said.
