YSR Cong chief Jagan stabbed at Vizag airport, police say his supporter did it

Hyderabad: In a major security lapse, YSR Congress party (YSRCP) chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy was stabbed by a man inside the Vishakhapatnam airport’s VIP lounge on Thursday.

Reddy, who suffered injuries on his left shoulder, was travelling to Hyderabad when the attack took place.

The attacker, an airport worker named Srinivas, was arrested by the Andhra Pradesh police, which said he was a supporter of YSRCP. However, the party alleged that the attack was a “conspiracy” by the ruling Telugu Desam party (TDP).

“Srinivas, a native of Amalapuram, approached Jagan Mohan Reddy for a selfie. Soon after clicking the selfie, Srinivas attacked Jagan with a knife that is used in cock fights. He is a staff member with the airport canteen run by TDP leader Harsha Vardhan,” added the statement.

The YSRCP alleged the attacker had aimed for Reddy’s neck, but missed.

However, in contrast, Vishakhapatnam city police commissioner Mahesh Chandra Ladha told Mint that preliminary information about the attack found that Srinivas is a YSRCP supporter. “The act was done for publicity is what we know so far, but we are verifying more details about the incident. Srinivas has been taken into custody after the Central Industrial Security Force personnel handed him over to us,” Ladha added.NextMAds

Asked how the attack took place in spite of Reddy having round-the-clock security detail, Ladha said he could not comment on it as the Central Industrial Security Force takes care of airport security. Reddy was treated for the injury at the Citi Neuro Centre hospital in Hyderabad.

The YSRCP chief later tweeted that he was safe.

Reddy last year undertook a ‘Padayatra’ (walkathon) in Andhra Pradesh. thirdMAds

Starting last November, he walked 3,000km across the state, meeting ordinary people as part of his 2019 assembly and Lok Sabha election campaign.