When YSR Congress president Jagan Mohan Reddy was at the Vizag airport to catch a flight to Hyderabad he was attacked with a knife by a 30-year-old restaurant worker at the airport in Andhra Pradesh’s Visakhapatnam on Thursday.
Reddy received a cut on his arm after he was attacked with the knife used during cockfights and was provided first aid at the airport lounge.
Police identified the attacker as Janipalli Srinivasa Rao, a resident of Taniyalapalli village near Amalapuram in East Godavari district. He has been working as a chef in Fusion Foods Restaurant at the airport for the past one year. Rao was taken into custody by airport security and handed over to police.
Jagan’s follower G Amarnadha Reddy said the attacker approached the politician on the pretext of offering him a cup of coffee. A video shot by a YSR Congress supporter showed security personnel leading Rao away and Reddy walking out of the VIP lounge surrounded by a few policemen.
The YSRC leader was on his way to Hyderabad after winding up his ‘padayatra’ or foot march in Saluru of Vizianagaram district when he was attacked. Immediately after the incident, Governor ESL Narasimhan spoke to Andhra Pradesh’s director general of police (DGP) RP Thakur and asked for a report on the incident.
Several leaders of the YSR Congress party also went to Thakur’s office, seeking immediate action.
Union civil aviation minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted he was shocked by the attack on Reddy and that an investigation into the incident is underway.
The attacker (left) was apprehended by police after he assaulted YSR Congress chief Jagan Mohan Reddy with a small knife (right).
“Asked all agencies to investigate matter thoroughly, including @CISFHQrs. Asked secretary civil aviation to fix responsibility. I strongly condemn this cowardly attack, we will punish the guilty. Investigations are underway, started immediately,” Prabhu posted.
Andhra Pradesh’s TDP party home minister N Chinarajappa said police will ensure an impartial probe into the attack on Reddy and spare no one found guilty of the offence.
Meanwhile, YSRCP supporters staged a protest outside Visakhapatnam airport soon after news of the attack spread.
