A large number of YSR Congress Party activists, led by Chittoor MP M. Reddappa, on Wednesday took out a massive rally through the arterial junctions of Kuppam town, to condemn the alleged sexual assault on a six-year-old girl by a Telugu Desam Party activist on Tuesday.
A senior TDP activist of Kuppam, identified as Sridhar (45), reportedly lured the child with eatables and allegedly sexually assaulted her at an abandoned structure in Kuppam on Tuesday.
Deputy SP (Palamaner) C.M. Gangaiah told The Hindu that the accused was thrashed by the public immediately after the incident. “The accused is currently under treatment at the government hospital at Kuppam. He would be arrested after discharge from hospital,” he said.
Political turn
The episode took a political turn on Wednesday after the ruling party cadres took staged a huge demonstration, displaying placards and banners, amidst slogans, demanding the arrest and hanging of the accused.
Mr. Reddappa said that it was ridiculous on the part of Telugu Desam Party president N. Chandrababu Naidu to keep mum on his party activist’s alleged heinous act. He said that Mr. Naidu had no moral right to speak against the Jagan Mohan Reddy government. “The TDP leaders who are making baseless criticism against the YSRCP government on the crime against women should now answer to the TDP activist’s sexual assault on a girl child in Kuppam,” he said.
The rally went through MPDO Office, Bus Station, YSR, NTR, and Potti Sriramulu statue junctions and Circle Inspector Office, before the party leaders submitted a memorandum to the local police, seeking the arrest of the accused.
Municipal chairman (Kuppam) Sudheer alleged that for the last three decades, Mr. Naidu had only encouraged rowdyism and intimidation of the poor and downtrodden in Kuppam. Chittoor ZP chairman, MPPs and local corporators also took part in the rally.
Naidu demands arrest
Meanwhile, Mr. Chandrababu Naidu on Wednesday condemned the alleged sexual assault on the girl child and demanded the arrest of the accused. According to party sources, Mr. Naidu spoke to the local leaders and prompted them to call on the victim, who is currently undergoing treatment at the local hospital.
A senior TDP leader in Chittoor deplored that the Kuppam episode involving their party activist came as a big embarrassment to the party, and made the leaders, “speechless and defenceless”.
