Naidu demands CBI inquiry into ex-AP speaker’s death, alleges foul play
- TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the ruling YSR Congress Party-led AP government had harassed the deceased
- Earlier this year, Siva Prasad Rao was booked by the AP police for alleged misuse of office furniture
Hyderabad: A day after former Andhra Pradesh speaker and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Kodela Siva Prasad Rao died, TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu, on Tuesday, demanded that the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conduct an inquiry into the death, which he said came as a “shock”. Naidu alleged that the ruling YSR Congress Party-led AP government, led by chief minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, had harassed the deceased.
“Someone (Siva Prasad Rao) called ‘Palnadu Tiger’ was afraid. Someone who was a speaker, dying like this is very bad. Petty cases were also filed on him, apart from other cases filed over the shifting of furniture,” said Naidu while addressing a press conference in Hyderabad after paying respects to the deceased. Earlier this year, Siva Prasad Rao has been booked by the AP police for alleged misuse of office furniture (shifting to his residence after demitting office).
Siva Prasad Rao was the speaker of the assembly between during the previous TDP-led government (2014-19). Naidu alleged foul play, saying that he could not believe someone like the deceased would commit suicide. “Letters from him to the current AP government clearly state that he was ready to pay for the office furniture, for which he asked the (current) speaker to calculate the cost,” Naidu added, while reading out documents during the press conference.
In a diatribe against Jagan Mohan Reddy, Naidu said, “What is his background? The CBI has charge-sheeted (on various charges) him, every Friday he has to go to court and now he has asked for exception as he is chief minister. Even today his (Siva Prasad Rao) house is rented, look at Jagan Mohan Reddy, his house is a palace here (Hyderabad).” After the death, TDP MP Kesineni Nani took to Twitter, alleging that it was a murder.
Siva Prasad Rao died after he tried hanging himself on Sunday night at his residence in Hyderabad. He was rushed to the Indo-Basavatarakam hospital at Banjara Hills, where he was declared dead. While the Banjara Hills police first said it was a case of suicide, a case of suspicious death has been registered. “We are waiting for the post-mortem report,” said a senior police official, who did not want to be quoted.
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First Published:17 Sep 2019, 11:18 AM IST
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