- 52 minutes ago
A political showdown erupted over the attack on journalists covering elections in Pulivendula, Andhra Pradesh. Speaking on the broadcast, TDP National Spokesperson Pattabhi Ram Kommareddy condemned the violence against media personnel, alleging that the YSRCP deliberately invited national media to target them and discredit the ruling coalition government. He claimed former Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy instigated unrest before the polls. Countering the allegations, YSRCP State General Secretary Satish Kumar Reddy condemned the attack while accusing the TDP government of deploying 2,000 police personnel to support party cadre in ransacking properties and blocking opposition agents. As both leaders traded charges over voter intimidation and unrest in Kadapa, the debate underscored growing concerns over journalist safety during election coverage.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Let me open this up because tough questions must be asked of how this could have happened
00:05in Andhra Pradesh to our reporters and to so many other journalists out there
00:08who were just doing their job covering the election, covering what was supposed to be
00:12a peaceful situation.
00:15Vattabhi Ram Khomar Reddy, National Spokesperson of the TDP,
00:18as well as Satish Kumar Reddy, State General Secretary of the YSRCP with us on this broadcast.
00:23First, gentlemen, I hope both of you will join me in condemning what's happened
00:28with my colleague Abdul Bashir on the ground in Puli Vendula.
00:30Mr. Vattabhi Ram, I'd like to begin with you.
00:33You are the ruling government in Andhra, sir.
00:36How is this acceptable?
00:39Ashita, good evening.
00:41This is a very sad and unfortunate incident that happened in Puli Vendula
00:45because we all respect media.
00:48We believe that it is the fourth estate in our democracy
00:51and media should have all the freedom, you know,
00:53to cover any incident or any kind of election or any event
00:59and, you know, reach out to the, showcase that to the public.
01:03But yesterday what had happened is the YSR Congress Party
01:09deliberately and specially invites the national media to Puli Vendula
01:14so that, you know, their goons can target them, attack them,
01:18physically injure them, smash their equipment.
01:21So it is a pre-planned conspiracy to discredit the government.
01:25And immediately they play the role of a saviour
01:28and try to console them.
01:30And prior to this, Ashita, this is a very important point to note.
01:34Prior to the election day, a few days before the election day,
01:38Jagan Mohan Riddhi goes to Puli Vendula,
01:40folds his shirt sleeves like this.
01:42He folds his sleeves and says,
01:48This is the exact language that Jagan Mohan Riddhi had used.
01:55He folds his shirt sleeves and says,
01:58Does a former chief minister speak in such a language?
02:01Is he part of some rowdy elements?
02:04He is the president of a political party, a former chief minister.
02:08This is the exact language he had used.
02:11So he had this intention of instigating violence a couple of days before the Puli Vendula.
02:16No, but sir, you're suggesting that the national media was invited by the YSRCP
02:21to be targeted by the YSRCP.
02:24Exactly.
02:25This is part of a conspiracy to discredit the government.
02:28But the investigation hasn't thrown up any of this, sir.
02:30The police have yet to give you those details.
02:32See, I have heard Abdul Bashir speaking yesterday also.
02:37So what he said was immediately after the incident happened, he called the superintendent of police.
02:42The SP immediately responded.
02:45He gave them security.
02:46They were taken to the nearby police station.
02:49And this is the copy of the FIR that was registered immediately.
02:52And investigation is going on.
02:54So it's just 24 hours.
02:55And maybe by tomorrow or the day after, all those people are behind this attack will be caught.
03:00And the second thing is, Akshita, right from day one, the YSR Congress Party did not want a free and
03:06fair election in Puli Vendula.
03:08Because from the past few decades, people in Puli Vendula did not have the freedom to go and vote.
03:14Sir, but it's on you to ensure there is free and fair.
03:16They are in the opposition.
03:18Yes.
03:19Yes.
03:19Yesterday, the government had tried its best to ensure that democracy will prevail, that democracy will win.
03:25People of Puli Vendula should win by casting their vote, which Jaganreti did not want to happen.
03:31Because if that happens, he knows that he'll lose badly.
03:35That's the reason why, see, across the state there was no violence.
03:38Why only in Puli Vendula?
03:40See, yesterday, 13 polling stations, one point I'm just finishing, Akshita, 13 polling stations were where repolling was ordered.
03:48Four polling stations were for Puli Vendula only.
03:52Eight of the 13 polling stations where repolling was ordered were from Kaarpa.
03:57Why only Puli Vendula?
03:59Why only Kaarpa?
04:00Satish Kumar, Reddigaru.
04:02There was a peaceful election.
04:03Okay, sir, let the YSRCP respond.
04:05You made very grave allegations.
04:07The TDP, Mr. Reddy, is saying that essentially this was all staged by the YSRCP, including the attack on Abdul
04:13Bashir.
04:15Whatever attack that has happened on Abdul Bashir and Vijay, we all condemn that.
04:21In democracy, there should not be any scope for violence.
04:25But what we have been seeing in Kaarpa district, in Puli Vendula and parts of Raya Sima,
04:31it is a total abuse of power.
04:35These people, they don't have any guts to face the elections.
04:39So, in order to prevent us from elections, and you might have seen all the cases that we have filed
04:46in the Supreme Court, in the High Court, everywhere,
04:48we were not even allowed to file nomination.
04:52Leave alone going and casting of our vote.
04:54The democracy that we are in today, it is a shame to everybody.
05:00And today, normally in any elections, the clashes will be between two parties.
05:06But here, the police has taken one party into custody and allowed a free ransack to the ruling party.
05:14No, sir, who are those men?
05:16Reddigaru, who are those men who attacked India today's camera?
05:20Now you can see the photos.
05:22I don't know who they are.
05:24That's what, if you can inquire and if you can see, and most of them are non-voters in that
05:30constituency.
05:31And in that mob, more than 70 to 80 percent belong to the Therudasian party, who are not residents and
05:39who are not voters in this party.
05:41And the whole irony of the whole thing is, 2,000 policemen have been brought to Puli Vendula in order
05:47to help and give a free hand for these boondas to attack YSRCP people and to obstruct the general voters.
05:53Mr. Sadish Kumar Reddy, if the cops were in there, you would have said there is no police deployment whatsoever
05:57in Puli Vendula.
05:58If the cops are there, you are saying that they are to protect the goons.
06:01Ultimately, what the TDP is highlighting is that the maximum incidence of violence are happening only in Kadapa.
06:07Yeah.
06:08Today, Lokesh is so intelligent that he wanted to showcase Kadapa as a violent place.
06:15And he wanted to portray that Jagan Mohan Reddy is creating all sorts of attacks here.
06:23I give you a chance.
06:24So, the main point, what this Chandra Bhavan and Lokesh are trying to do is, Ali Jagan Mohan Reddy, they
06:32don't have any guts to face him anywhere in Raiyal Sima.
06:35So, to obstruct here, only in Raiyal Sima, they have used all their police machinery, their money, all their power,
06:43just to show that they wanted to crush, they wanted to give a crushing defeat to Jagan Mohan Reddy.
06:52Okay. Komar Reddy, Garu, the SRCP is saying that that's proof that maximum violence is happening in Kadapa is proof
06:57that, you know, the TDP is behind it.
07:00From the past few decades, the wise family has been murdering democracy in broad daylight by instigating violence.
07:09People in Kadapa and Puli Vendula especially did not have the freedom to vote and there were never free and
07:14fair elections.
07:16See, Mr. Satish Reddy was talking about filing of nominations.
07:19What happened in 2021 in Puli Vendula?
07:22All the 33 wards were unanimous.
07:25People were not allowed to file.
07:28In 2021, Mr. Satish Reddy, I did not interrupt you.
07:31Yeah, yeah, yeah, Mr. Bhattar, I am going to interrupt you.
07:33Please.
07:33Yeah, 31 points.
07:35See, 2021, all the 33 wards were unanimous in favor of Vaisur Congress Party.
07:40Is it democracy?
07:41See, and in 2021, if you look at the figures of violence, there were 160 attacks, 118 properties that were
07:49destroyed across the state, 48 murder attempts, 48 kidnaps, 3 murders.
07:54This is the track record of Vaisur Congress Party.
07:56Okay, I am going to allow a quick intervention from the Vaisur CP on this point that you made.
08:00It's a grave charge.
08:01Mr. Satish Reddy.
08:02All this is a fabricated thing.
08:05Without any proofs, he's just trying to quote like this.
08:07Sir, he's quoting numbers to you from 20-20.
08:09No, no, no, I'm telling you.
08:10No, please, please hear me.
08:12As a matter of fact, in 2021, the Teluk Deshiyam Party has announced that it is abscording the elections.
08:20It is not going in for the elections.
08:23Where is the scope when your party itself has told that they're withdrawing for the elections?
08:27They don't have the guts on the table even to contest the elections.
08:31And today they're blaming Vaisur CP for that.
08:35Today we are in a position to file nominations.
08:38Today we are in a position to file the elections on behalf of the people.
08:43We are not going to come to power even if we win these elections.
08:47But we wanted to ensure that the people get a fair chance to go and vote and to increase the
08:54importance of the democracy.
08:55We wanted all the candidates to participate.
08:59So, they're afraid of all this.
09:02These people have engaged Vundas with the support of the polls.
09:06Yeah, Akshita, one last line.
09:08See, there are four polling booths where repolling happened today in Pulu Vandala.
09:13In three polling booths, the YSL Congress party did not even send its polling agents.
09:19Why?
09:19Because they don't believe in a fray election.
09:22They don't want people to come and vote.
09:23See, when there was polling, repolling happening in four booths, why were your polling agents absent today?
09:30Okay, Satish Rattigaru, you want to answer?
09:32Don't you believe in a democratic election?
09:35Answer that, sir.
09:36I was quiet as long as you said and now you made a challenge.
09:40Just listen to me.
09:41Let me respond to your challenge.
09:42Go ahead.
09:43Akshita, yesterday, our leader went to the election officer and requested that out of the 80 polling stations in Pulu
09:52Vandala, 70 polling stations, our agents were not allowed to go inside the polling stations also with the help of
10:00the police.
10:01So, we stated that and we requested only one thing.
10:04We requested that all the conservative polling stations, where our agents were not allowed to sit in the polling booths,
10:12we've asked for a re-election.
10:14So, you're saying they weren't allowed?
10:16TDP is saying that you didn't go there.
10:18You could see all the visuals.
10:21What are you displaying, Akshita?
10:23What is...
10:23No, this is what the violence is.
10:25You know, what's undeniable is that there's been violence.
10:29Who is creating violence?
10:31It is not a violence created between two parties.
10:35It is a violence created by the Guldas and Telukh Desha party ransacking the houses and properties of YSRCP leaders
10:43with the support of the police.
10:45The whole thing is the police is a party to all these things.
10:49They have brought 2,000 police to Kuli Vandala just to facilitate.
10:53No, no, please listen to me, Mr. Pattabhi.
10:55I'm very patient as long as you spoke.
10:58Just let me make my point.
10:59They have brought 2,000 police people to support the Guldas to attack and to prevent the polling process.
11:07And Mr. Pattabhi just mentioned that we did not attend...
11:12Though polling, the repolling is there in 4 polling stations, he said that our people did not go and sit
11:19in the polling stations even today.
11:21Mr. Pattabhi, in all the 4 polling stations, we have ensured that our agent was there.
11:26Pre-polling was conducted today.
11:28If you have a child...
11:29No, no.
11:29Okay.
11:29Please listen to me.
11:30Why do you laugh?
11:31No, no.
11:32You made a challenge when I decided to tell you how.
11:34Okay, sir.
11:35Okay, okay.
11:36This is not...
11:37We are running out of...
11:37Okay, Satish, sir, you made a grave allegation.
11:40Let him respond.
11:40Let the TDP respond.
11:42Pattabhi Ramgadhi.
11:42One last play.
11:43See, the bottom line is...
11:46Satish, I've heard you.
11:47Please.
11:48See, the bottom line is, Akshita, that the YSR Congress Party under the leadership of Mr. Jaganreddi orchestrated the entire
11:56violence in Puliwendra.
11:58They burned their own vehicles, they burned houses, they have beaten up the national media people.
12:02Sir, it sounds very far-fetched, honestly, that the YSRCP is attacking their own, the YSRCP is attacking the media,
12:08the YSRCP is attacking everyone, and the cops are just standing by.
12:12Why only in Puliwendra?
12:13Why are the cops doing anything?
12:15Why is it not happening anywhere else?
12:17But then, sir, why are the cops cracking down?
12:20Why did the cops not act and stop it?
12:22Yes, the cops even fired bullets in the air.
12:28There was firing in the air.
12:29The cops fired.
12:31Thirty rounds were fired during the nomination itself.
12:33Thousand policemen were there on the roads.
12:35But even then, they brought goons from outside Puliwendra.
12:39They have hired goons, and they have created this violence.
12:41It only happened in Puliwendra under the leadership of Jaganreddi.
12:46And the evidence is, Jaganreddi, few days before the polling, just like a roadie element saying.
12:52You are giving me, are giving me time to...
12:54Okay.
12:55Respond to him as a man.
12:57I am folding my shirt.
12:58Okay, okay.
12:58I am folding my shirt.
12:59I have run out of time.
13:01I have run out of time.
13:01Gentlemen, what's very clear here is, both of you are saying outsiders have come in.
13:06Both of you are pointing fingers at the other.
13:08The Vaisal CP is saying cops are aiding these goons.
13:11The TDP is saying that the cops are helpless in the face of so many of these goons.
13:15Sir, I know both of you want to make your points.
13:17But ultimately, I will end on this note because I have run out of time.
13:20That these kind of attacks have no place, honestly.
13:23Attacks on journalists, attacks on media who are out there to cover what's happening on the ground.
13:27To brazenly target them in this manner and think they can get away with it is a very, very dangerous
13:32precedent.
13:33And we only hope that all those who are involved in this attack on Abdul Bashir and Vijay are immediately
13:38identified,
13:39are immediately nabbed.
13:41Outsiders, whichever political party they belong to, they must face action.
13:45And we hope we see that.
13:46We will be tracking very closely that investigation here on India Today.