Don't vote for my father's killers, Jagan's cousin appeals to people of Andhra

Hyderabad, March 28 (IANS) Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y. S. Jagan Mohan Reddy's cousin Dr Suneetha Narreddy on Thursday appealed to people not to vote for the "killers" of her father Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy and those shielding them. 

Responding to remarks made by Jagan Mohan Reddy at a public meeting at Proddatur in Kadapa district on Wednesday, she urged people not to vote for Kadapa MP Y. S. Avinash Reddy and Jagan Mohan Reddy.

While kickstarting the election campaign of his YSR Congress Party, the Chief Minister had accused opposition parties of a role in the murder case and remarked that people should know who are behind the murder and are shielding the culprits.

Jagan Mohan Reddy also stated that his sisters Y.S. Sharmila and Suneetha Narreddy are playing into the hands of his opponents. He has again fielded Avinash Reddy as the YSRCP candidate from Kadapa for the forthcoming Lok Sabha polls despite allegations against him in the murder case.

Suneetha Narreddy asked if her cousin knew the meaning of uncle.

"Chinnanna (father’s younger brother) is next to father. You failed to expose the conspiracy behind the murder of such a person. Is it fair to make accusations against Chinnanna’s daughter,” she asked while talking to reporters outside Telangana High Court, which Thursday heard a petition to cancel the anticipatory bail of Avinash Reddy in the murder case.

"When your sister is running around courts and police, what is your duty as an elder brother? Do you know the meaning of relations? You are saying God knows and the people of the district know who killed Chinnanna. Yes, what you said is correct. God, you and the people of the district know who killed Chinnanna. That’s why you are shielding the accused," she said.

Suneetha Narreddy claimed that the killers themselves are saying that Y.S. Bhaskar Reddy and Avinash Reddy got Vivekananda Reddy murdered. She asked Jagan Mohan Reddy what his government had done for five years.

"Are you not shielding the accused? In the past, you demanded a CBI inquiry but later withdrew the petition. You are remembering Chinnanna after five years at the time of elections," she said.

She alleged that Jagan Mohan Reddy was using the name of Vivekananda Reddy after five years to gain public sympathy.

Former minister and former MP, Vivekananda Reddy was murdered at his residence in Pulivendula on March 15, 2019, weeks before the elections. He was alone at his residence.

In April last year, the CBI arrested Vivekananda Reddy’s cousin Y. S. Bhaskar Reddy, father of YSRCP MP from Kadapa, Avinash Reddy. The CBI claimed that both Avinash and Bhaskar Reddy conspired to eliminate Vivekananda Reddy because he was against fielding Avinash Reddy from the Kadapa Lok Sabha seat and wanted Jagan Mohan Reddy to instead field his mother Vijayamma or sister Sharmila.

However, the father-son duo denied the allegation.

Avinash Reddy was granted anticipatory bail by the Telangana High Court on May 31, 2023. The High Court on Wednesday took up a petition by accused-turned-approver Dastagiri to cancel the MP’s anticipatory bail.

The court posted the case to April 4 for further hearing.