Union Minister of State for External Affairs V. Muraleedharan on Monday alleged that the law and order situation was in peril in Andhra Pradesh, with the surfacing of ‘terrorist activities’ in the Atmakur incident.
TheState unit of the BJP earlier raised doubts that activists owing allegiance to an extremist outfit which is banned in several States were involved in the attack on its leaders at Atmakur in Kurnool district.
Speaking toreporters here, the Union Minister said that it was disturbing that some members of terrorist groups were present at thepress conference of the Superintendent of Policeheld inKurnool recently.
“The entire police administration in the State is operating at the whims of YSRCP party leaders. The Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy governmentis caught ina mire of corruption,”Mr. Muraleedharansaid.
Mr. Muraleedharan said he went to the sub-jail in Kadapa to call on the Kurnool district BJP president B. Srikanth Reddy. “Srikanth Reddy had reached Atmakur after getting permission from the police, but he became a victim of false cases and was put behind bars. The YSRCP government should immediately withdraw false cases against Mr. Srikanth Reddy and other party cadres and release them from jail,” he said.
The BJP leader alleged that there was an attempt to murder Mr. Srikanth Reddy at Atmakur when he tried to stop the illegal construction of a mosque. He said that the ruling party leaders had tried their best to protect the culprits.
He cautioned the YSRCP against foisting false cases on the BJP cadres, failing which agitations would be organised across the State.
Earlier, BJP State president Somu Veerraju extended a warm welcome to Mr. Muraleedharan at the airport.
‘Govt. a mute spectator’
Mr.Muraleedharanfurther alleged that the State government had chosen toremain a mute spectator to the ‘violence being committed against Hindus’ and ‘attacks on temples by divisive forces in the State’. He alleged that the attacks on BJP cadres at Atmakur were engineeredby the support of theYSRCP government.
Addressing a party meeting at Nandyal, Mr. Muraleedharan deplored that religious fundamentalism with the support of the Popular Front of India and Social Democratic Party of India had become rampant in the State, particularly in Kurnool district.
He said that the two communal entities had a history of creating violence and primarily targeting the BJP and RSS.
Demanding the arrest of the culprits in the Atmakur incident and release of the BJP cadres who were ‘arrested on false charges’, the Union Minister alleged that some terrorist forces were trying to manipulate the volatile situation in the State after the Atmakur incident. “The BJP is never opposed to building mosques, temples, or churches,” he said..
