Guntur: Andhra Pradesh Police have registered a FIR against ruling YSRCP MLA A Siva Kumar along with his followers for slapping and attacking a voter at a polling center after jumping the queue during the fourth phase of Lok Sabha election 2024 in Tenali town of Guntur district on Monday.
ETV Bharat has learnt that a case has been registered under FIR no 81/2024 at Tenali II town Police Station under sections 341 and 323 (r/w 34) of IPC against Siva Kumar and 7-8 of his followers following a complaint by the victim identified as Gottimukkala Sudhakar. Pertinently, Section 323 of the Indian Penal Code deals with the offense of voluntarily causing hurt while as Section 341 of the Indian Penal Code deals with the offense of wrongful restraint.
In his complaint lodged with the police station, Sudhakar said that at around 10 am on Monday during the voting day on Monday, he was waiting in the queue at the polling booth set up at Municipal Primary School, Errabadi in Ithanagar area of Tenali town, when the accused YSRCP MLA A Siva Kumar and his family members went into the polling booth to cast their votes by jumping the queue. Sudhakar said that while the YSRCP MLA was leaving the booth after casting his vote, he asked him why he had jumped the queue which enraged the latter and he slapped the complainant. Sudhakar said that he too slapped back at the MLA after which 7-8 of his followers beat assaulted him causing injuries in his face.
The video of the assault also went viral on social media on the polling day on Monday. In the several seconds video, the YSRCP MLA A Siva Kumar is seen slapping the voter, who slaps him back after which the MLA's aides assault the voter.
Targeting the ruling YSRCP government over the incident, TDP President N Chandrababu Naidu wrote in a post on X, "A YCP MLA attacking a voter at a polling center in Tenali is a proof of YCP's frustration. With defeat assured, YCP MLAs have lost their discretion and are attacking the people. People's consciousness and rebellion cannot be suppressed with these attacks. People are revolting today in the form of vote against the achievements of 5 years of government".