'Jagan attempts to draw pol mileage from Vivekananda Reddy murder'

N Chandrababu Naidu

Amravati (Andhra Pradesh): Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday lashed out at Jaganmohan Reddy alleging that the latter was trying to gain political mileage by blaming him for the "murder" of YS Vivekananda Reddy, the uncle of the YSR Congress Party president chief.

Vivekananda Reddy, a former Lok Sabha member was found dead at his residence in Pulivendula town of Kadapa district in the wee hours of Friday. The younger brother of late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy is survived by his wife and a daughter.

Naidu, who visited his son Nara Lokesh's constituency in Amaravati on Friday, said: "Jaganmohan Reddy is trying to hide the facts and gain political mileage from the murder of YS Vivekananda Reddy."

"Not only YSR Congress but his family members should answer all the questions raised after the murder of Vivekananda Reddy," he said adding that "I am not saying the family members are culprits but someone had tried to destroy forensic evidence and suspicions are arising on them."

YSR Congress president on Friday accused the TDP of orchestrating Vivekananda Reddy's "murder" and demanded a CBI probe in the matter.

"When my grandfather YS Raja Reddy was murdered TDP was in power, when there was an attempt on my life at Vizag airport, TDP was in power and when this murder happened, TDP was again in power. Two days before the helicopter crash in which my father Dr YS Rajasekhara Reddy died, Chandrababu Naidu told the assembly that you (YSR) will not return," he said after paying tributes to YS Vivekananda Reddy on Friday.

Targeting Jaganmohan Reddy for demanding CBI inquiry in the case, Naidu said: "If state police will investigate then the criminals will be caught. After the murder of a family member, clearing off evidence is definitely a crime. It is unfortunate that such criminals are in politics. Now they are demanding a CBI probe. But in the first place why did they destroy evidence."

"When you say you don't have faith in the state police, do you maintain a private army?" he asked YSR Congress chief.

Naidu further alleged that if the case is given to the CBI, the Centre will save them.

"Who brought the body out of the bathroom? Who washed bedroom? Without autopsy why the body was moved? These are some questions that needed to be answered. Now a letter is produced by family members, pointing towards the driver. Where this letter came from? Jagan is levelling allegations on us. Tomorrow, he is going to meet the governor, which is just another part of his drama," Naidu asserted.

Earlier on Friday, Naidu also ordered to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) immediately to investigate the case and to immediately arrest the accused in the matter. He said, "No accused should be spared whatever may be their stature."

YS Vivekananda Reddy was elected as an MLA from Pulivendula constituency in 1989 and 1994. He became a Member of Parliament from Kadapa Lok Sabha seat in 1999 and 2004. In 2009, he was elected as MLC. He also served as Agriculture Minister of Andhra Pradesh and later resigned from Congress party and joined YSRCP.

Following Reddy's death, his personal assistant Krishna Reddy lodged a complaint with the police expressing his suspicions on his death.

Krishna claimed that Vivekananda's body was found in a pool of blood with injuries on his head and hand. Based on the complaint, police have filed a case of suspicious death and are investigating.

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