AP: Avinash Reddy's followers attack mediapersons, chase ETV newsman

As media persons were waiting near Vishwa Bharati Hospital in Kurnool as part of news coverage, the followers of Viveka murder accused MP Avinash Reddy created chaos there on Sunday night. They chased and tried to attack ETV representative Ramakrishna Reddy but let him go only after seeing the ETV logo in his bag.

Kurnool (Andhra Pradesh) : MP Avinash Reddy's followers created anarchy in Kurnool city at 10.30 pm on Sunday night. Several media persons who were on duty at the Vishwa Bharati Hospital in the Gayatri Estate area were attacked. At first, the MP's followers attacked the RTV representatives and Andhra Jyoti reporter Venkateswarlu, asking what they were doing there at night.

As a result, the rest of the media representatives had to run away from there. Cameras from the hands of some media representatives were snatched and destroyed. ETV representative Ramakrishna Reddy went to hide in a nearby hotel and he was chased. They closed the shutters of the hotel and tried to attack him but let him go after seeing the 'ETV' logo in the bag.

Around 60 to 70 followers of the MP reached the area on Sunday morning and stayed in the nearby lodges. By nightfall, they got drunk, reached the road, and started the attacks. Actually, no one else was allowed to enter that street. They inquired about the media representatives waiting near the hospital.

Avinash Reddy's followers talked to the people standing on the road and checked whether they represented the media or not. After checking their cell phones and confirming that they are not media representatives, they asked them to go away. Seeing the fury of Avinash Reddy's followers, the police were also afraid to go near them.

Seeing this situation, the locals were terrified. Only recently, MP Avinash Reddy's followers recently attacked a reporter of Andhra Jyoti and a media vehicle in Hyderabad.

Unresponsive police

Tens of Avinash Reddy's followers took control of the entire area where the Vishwa Bharati Hospital is located. They created chaos, even as the police remained silent spectators. It is noteworthy that even though the incident took place in the heart of the city, additional police forces did not reach the spot.

A huge number of followers were deployed and those who had to go to that street were terrified. There is a fear of even going there till 12 o'clock in the night. At around 12:15 midnight, Kurnool MLA Hafiz Khan reached there, brought some Avinash Reddy followers, and apologized to the media. The MLA said that the attack was not a deliberate one but a mistake.