Deputy Inspector General (Anantapur Range) A.N. Ammireddy has termed as brutal the attack on the police personnel and inflicting of bleeding injuries on them by unruly mobs during the visit of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) national president N. Chandrababu Naidu on August 4, at Punganur in Chittoor district.
Addressing the media here on August 5 (Saturday), Mr. Ammireddy said that instead of the predetermined route, the itinerary organisers had tried to enter Punganur town. They had a tiff with the police personnel on duty and obstructed their duties, and even removed the barricades there, he added.
Mr. Ammireddy said that the police had resorted to a mild lathi-charge to control the rioters. “The mobs suddenly started hurling stones at the policemen, damaging the police vehicles and setting them on fire,” he said.
“The Police Department is impartial, and performs its duties to protect public property, their lives and maintain peace and security,” he said.
“In the Punganur incident, our men on duty had maintained restraint and avoided taking any hasty action. Despite suffering bleeding injuries, they performed their duties with a commitment to protect law and order. Not even a single civilian was injured in the attack,” he said.
Chittoor Superintendent of Police Y. Rishant Reddy said that Mr. Naidu had not taken any permission to enter Punganur town as part of the programme.
“In tune with the TDP itinerary, we had provided 400 personnel for bandobast. Keeping in view the law and order, barricades were placed with adequate police presence. However, some rioters had insisted on entering Punganur. Some rioters had attacked the police with beer bottles, sticks, and stones they brought earlier,” he said.
‘40 rioters identified’
Mr. Rishant Reddy said that a mob of around 2,000 rioters had participated in the attack.
The attack on the police personnel was pre-planned. As many as 50 policemen were injured in stone-pelting, 13 of them seriously. One constable was injured in the left eye, and his vision was impaired. Two police vehicles were vandalised and set on fire, he said.
So far, 40 persons were identified for their role in the riots through video grabs. Criminal cases were filed against them, Mr. Rishant Reddy said.
Minister calls on injured policemen
Meanwhile, Energy Minister P. Ramachandra Reddy visited the Government District Headquarters Hospital here and called on the injured police personnel.
Blaming Mr. Naidu for the violence, he reiterated that those responsible for the heinous attack would be brought to book.
