The death of a YSRCP activist in Andhra Pradesh’s Palnadu district after he was allegedly assaulted by Telugu Desam Party (TDP) workers and leaders has put the area on edge, sparking a political row between the two parties amid Makar Sankranti festivities on Thursday.
YSRCP leaders allege that M Salman, a resident of Pinneli village under the Gurazala Assembly constituency, was attacked by local TDP leaders after he went to meet his wife, and that he was targeted after the TDP came to power in June 2024.
According to the police report, Salman was grievously injured, slipped into a coma and, after battling for life in hospital for three days, succumbed to his injuries on Thursday morning.
“As tensions rose and he felt threatened, Salman went away from the village. He came three days ago to meet his wife when he was attacked by TDP cadres and local leaders,” said former YSRCP MLA from Gurazala, Kasu Mahesh Reddy, adding: “Our cadres and local leaders face attacks and death threats on a daily basis. Often, these attacks happen in the presence of police, just like in Salman’s case.”
However, TDP spokesperson Deepak Reddy dismissed the incidents as fallout of personal rivalries.
Meanwhile, Inspector Ponnuru Bhaskar told The Indian Express that he and his team were busy overseeing security arrangements for the Sankranti festival and were not aware of the attack on Salman in Pinnelli village.
YSRCP state coordinator Sajjala Rama Krishna Reddy said the incident followed a familiar pattern of attacks on party activists and local leaders, accusing the ruling coalition of misusing power and the police system to target political opponents and harass them with “illegal cases”.
He also promised support to Salman’s family.
