The Hindu Business Line : Chandrababu Naidu survives blast in Tirupati

THE Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, Mr N. Chandrababu Naidu, narrowly survived a bid on his life today following a blast that ripped through the car in which he was travelling near the Alipiri guest house at the foothills of Tirumala in Tirupati.

The daring attack, which sent shock waves across the State allegedly carried out by the naxalites belonging to the outlawed People's War (PW) took place at around 4 p.m. in the afternoon, when the Chief Minister was heading to the Tirumala temple, the abode of Lord Venkateswara in a convoy to attend the Brahmotsavam, according to police.

In the incident, Mr Naidu suffered minor injuries. However, the occupants of the car in the back seat, the Minister for Biotechnology and Employment, Mr B. Gopalakrishna Reddy and two Telugu Desam Party (TDP) legislators — Mr Chadalavada Krishnamurthy and Mr Reddyvari Rajasekhara Reddy took the brunt of the blast. Mr Rajasekhara Reddy's condition is stated to be serious.

The entire area was cordoned off by police.

The Chief Minister and the other injured were rushed to the Sri Venkateswara Institute of Medical Sciences (SVIMS). The entire area was cordoned off by police, after the initial confusion, following the sensational events in Chittoor, home district of Mr Naidu.

The State Home Minister, Mr Devender Goud, who was addressing a press conference in Hyderabad when he received the news of the attack, said the Chief Minster, Mr Naidu was "safe and there is nothing to panic". The Home Minister said that a powerful claymore mine was blasted by the naxalites as the Chief Minister's convoy was passing through. According to reports reaching here, the bullet-proof, Ambassador car in which the Chief Minster was travelling was thrown off and hit a roadside boulder due to the impact of the blast. Mr Naidu got out of the badly damaged car. Mr Naidu, who had a hectic schedule in Tirupati was to offer a pair of `silk vastrams' to the Lord on behalf of the State on the eve of `Garuda Seva', the most important event of the 9-day Brahmostavam.

The Chief Minister has been high on the hit-list of the PW, which has been consistently opposing his pro-reforms policies, privatisation and moves favouring multinationals. It has carried out a series of attacks on corporates in the State, including Heritage Foods (Managed by Ms Bhuvaneswari, wife of the CM), Tata Coffee, a granites unit owned by Union Minister, Krishnam Raju, and the MNC, Coca Cola's plant in the last two years.

Incidentally, the former Home Minster, Mr A. Madhava Reddy, was killed in a similar kind of operation by the PW naxalites at a railway overbridge near Ghatkesar about 30 km from Hyderabad, three years ago.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication

Stories in this Section
Re touches 38-month high despite RIB redemption

RIB refunds have no impact on liquidity

Ministry moots six options for HPCL, BPCL sell-off

Chandrababu Naidu survives blast in Tirupati

Banks queue up to cut housing loan rates

Ministry not for separate law on lenders' liability