TDP leader suspects "role of sleeper cells" of YSRCP behind Guntur stampede deaths

Ramaiah sought an answer from the state government if the deaths occurred due to a stampede or they were made to occur and demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident.

Amaravati (Andhra Pradesh): Telugu Desam Party leader Varla Ramaiah on Monday suspected the role of the "sleeper cells" of the ruling YSRCP behind the death of three persons in the stampede at Chandrababu Naidu's public meeting in Guntur.

"The State Government should answer whether the three persons really died in the stampede as reported or they were done to death. I suspect the role of the sleeper cells of YSRCP"," he said. The TDP leader blamed Jagan Mohan Reddy and his government for the deaths and alleged that the Chief Minister was shaken by the "massive gatherings" in Chandrababu Naidu's public meetings.

His remarks came a day after three people died in a stampede at the public meeting of Naidu in Guntur. Ramaiah sought an answer from the state government if the deaths occurred due to a stampede or they were made to occur and demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident.

"How did the three persons die, particularly after Chandrababu left the venue? Even though 200 policemen were on security duty?" he said while speaking to the media. "The State Government should answer whether the three persons really died in the stampede as reported or they were done to death," Ramaiah added.

Stating that he will blame the Chief Minister and his Government for the deaths, Varla Ramaiah said that he is unable to digest the fact that huge crowds are gathering for the meetings of Chandrababu.

Varla Ramaiah suspected that the three persons were done to death only with a view to creating hurdles to Chandrababu's meetings and demanded that the Guntur District Superintendent of Police, Arif, order for an impartial inquiry to bring the facts to light as to who is responsible for the deaths.

Suspecting a conspiracy behind the killing of the three persons, Varla Ramaiah demanded that cases under Sections 120 (B) and Sections 302 be registered against the persons responsible for the deaths.

"In the Guntur incident, all the fingers are pointing towards the State Government. The Ministers, who generally respond very late towards any incident, reacted very fast on the Guntur incident and visited the spot immediately," he alleged. Demanding a CBI probe into the whole incident, Ramaiah said that the facts will not come to light if the State police conduct the inquiry.

Earlier on Sunday, three persons died and several others were injured in a stampede at Telugu Desam Party chief Chandrababu Naidu's public meeting in Andhra Pradesh's Guntur on Sunday, police said.

This is the second such incident occurring in the TDP chief's public meeting in a week. Eight people had died in a stampede on December 28 last year in Nellore.According to the police, three women have lost their lives and several other people are injured in the stampede. The injured ones have been moved to the hospital.

"Three people died and several were injured during a public meeting held by TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu in Guntur district," Arif Hafeez, SP Guntur said.

The police said that Chandrababu Naidu had planned to present gifts for the upcoming festival Pongal. The TDP leaders arranged the public meeting at 2 pm on Sunday. "Naidu left the meeting after its completion, however, public rushed to collect the gifts leading to a stampede," the police said. (ANI)