Intense reactions as stone pelter injures CM Jagan..S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh, faced a distressing incident when an unidentified individual hurled a stone at him while he was engaging with the public from atop his bus at Ajith Singh Nagar in NTR district on Saturday night. The resultant injury, an L-shaped cut above his left eyebrow measuring one centimeter each in length and width, prompted swift action from his staff. Immediately taken into the bus, Jagan Mohan Reddy received first aid from a doctor accompanying him, visibly wincing in pain. Police promptly secured the area around the bus, dispersing the gathering crowd.
Undeterred by the assault, Jagan Mohan Reddy, who survived a knife attack at Visakhapatnam airport in October 2018, resumed his Memantha Siddham Bus Yatra in the city, continuing his canvassing efforts for nearly four hours. News of the attack elicited widespread condemnation from political figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who took to Twitter, expressing prayers for Jagan Mohan Reddy's swift recovery.
Acording to a statement from the Chief Minister's Office, the stone struck Jagan Mohan Reddy as he acknowledged the crowd during his bus tour at Vivekananda School Centre in Singh Nagar, Vijayawada. Locals reported a power outage in the area at the time of the incident, raising questions about its possible connection to the attack. Speculations arose regarding the use of a catapult in the assault.
Allegations implicating the Telugu Desam party surfaced, with YSR Congress supporters protesting in various locations, holding posters accusing TD chief N. Chandrababu Naidu. In Guntur, protests intensified as YSR Congress supporters condemned Naidu, TD general secretary Nara Lokesh, and Jana Sena chief Pawan Kalyan, symbolically expressing their discontent by hitting flexis bearing the leaders' photos with slippers and subsequently setting them ablaze.
Condemnation of the attack reverberated across party lines, with AP Congress chief YS Sharmila Reddy denouncing the violence and expressing hopes for Jagan Mohan Reddy's speedy recovery via Twitter. BRS working president KTR also condemned the incident through a social media post, emphasizing the imperative of upholding democratic values and ensuring the safety of political figures.