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'TDP-sponsored': BJP on hurling of footwear at party leader during TV debate
The debate on the state cabinet's decision to extend government guarantee for raising Rs3,000 crore from banks for taking up Amaravati projects was aired on Telugu news channel ABN Andhrajyothi.
A member of Amaravati Parirakshana Samithi attacked the state general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) S Vishnu Vardhan Reddy with his footwear during a live debate on television in Andhra Pradesh. The shocking incident was captured on camera and the video of Kolikapudi Srinivasa Rao hurling his footwear towards Reddy after a heated argument ensued between them, became viral on social media.
The debate on the state cabinet's decision to extend government guarantee for raising Rs3,000 crore from banks for taking up Amaravati projects was aired on Telugu news channel ABN Andhrajyothi. While Reddy was in agreement with the move, he criticised the erstwhile TDP government for borrowing loans.
In response, Rao said Reddy was not sticking to the ‘serious issue’ at hand, to which Reddy responded with a comment that enraged the Joint Action Committee member. Reddy asked Rao if he too had to toe the line of the TDP like Rao, a remark which infuriated the latter. He removed his footwear and swung it towards Reddy.
While the BJP condemned the attack and requested the television channel to lodge a formal complaint against Rao, party MP GVL Narasimha Rao accused the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) of being behind the incident.
“I strongly condemn the attack. This is clearly a TDP-sponsored activity. Srinivasa is known to be associated with TDP. If the party has nothing to do with it, Chandrababu Naidu must condemn the attack,” GVL tweeted.
