Andhra Pradesh: Rival groups of TDP clash at party meeting in tense Prakasam district
Supporters of TDP MLC Karanam Balaram Krishna Murthy and followers of Addanki MLA Gottipati Ravi Kumar got into a physical fight at a party meet in Ongole in Prakasam district.
Ugly scenes were witnessed at the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) meeting in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh when two rival groups of the party clashed with each other.
Supporters of TDP MLC and veteran leader Karanam Balaram Krishna Murthy and followers of Addanki MLA Gottipati Ravi Kumar got into a physical fight at the party's meeting venue in Ongole in Prakasam district.
The clash between the two TDP rival groups comes in the wake of alleged murder of two supporters of MLC Murthy on Friday. Murthy alleged that his supporters were attacked by men who belonged to the Addanki MLA group.
Later, as many as 14 accused in the double murder case surrendered before the police.
- As soon as Addanki MLA Gottipati Ravi Kumar entered the meeting venue, where the election for TDP's Prakasam district president was on, followers of Murthy attacked him.
- The fight broke out in front of party observers and state ministers such as P Narayana, Paritala Sunita and Sidda Raghava.
- It took security personnel some time to control the situation and stop the fight between the two rival TDP groups.
- The families of both MLC Murthy and MLA Ravi Kumar have had a history of rivalry, resulting in violence and murders, said a senior police officer.
- It has been alleged that supporters of MLA Ravi Kumar attacked the followers of MLC Murthy with sticks and knives after throwing chilli powder at them.
- Last week, in a separate incident, two YSR Congress members were murdered in Kurnool district. YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy alleged that Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister K E Krishnamurthy engineered the attack.
- TDP chief and Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, however, alleged that it was Jagan's family that started factionalism and political killings in Rayalaseema.
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