Kodela Is The Main Culprit Behind Inumetla Violence: Ambati Rambabu
Inumetla/ Sattenapalli: YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) official spokesperson and Sattenapalli Assembly candidate Ambati Rambabu brought to fore the factionist culture perpetuated by the Andhra Pradesh Speaker Kodela Siva Prasad Rao. Speaking to reporters on Saturday, in Sattenapalli constituency at Guntur district, Ambati gave a detailed account of what had happened on Thursday ( Elections Day) that led to the violence in Inumetla . Ambati said that the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leaders had given a complaint about him, Basu Lingareddy and Nimmkayala Rajanarayana, that they were the ones who had conspired and instigated the Inumetla villagers to attack the Speaker.
Ambati said that till date there were no cases against them, but Kodela's history is ridden with violence, booth capturing, threatening election officials and he has cases on him to that effect also. A person like Kodela is a feared person in Narsarapopeta and Ambati also reminded the people about the bomb blast case which happened in his own residence during past elections. Ambati said that Kodela was a person with a criminal background and would resort to any kind of actions to win the elections.
Ambati also reminded of a past incident that when they were bringing MPTCs from Muppalla Mandal to Guntur, Kodela's men had attacked them and injured them. Even though a case was filed it was brushed aside due to pressure from the higher -ups since he was the Speaker of the AP Assembly.
Now in 2019 Kodela is claiming that we had planned the attack in Inumetla. We are ready to face any investigation or enquiry and we have no reason to fear , Ambati said clearly. On the elections day we were going to Narnepadu village in Muppala Mandal , to check the booths there, but the local TDP leaders stopped us from entering and pushed us away,he said.
“We received news that Kodela and his men had gone to Inumetla and were rigging votes there. We called the RO Suryaprakash on phone and informed him. He asked us not to go there and the DSP also asked us not to go as this could further aggravate the situation there, so we stayed back at Upplapadu”, Ambati said.
He said that Kodela's criminal mindset and his actions were the cause of the violence there. He was trying to seek public sympathy by walking around in a torn shirt, at the same time wasn't he instigating the voters as if he was attacked by someone, Ambati questioned. Why were there rowdies from Narsaraopeta with him at the time of the attack, Ambati questioned. The police have rounded up the village and so far seven people were taken into custody. But if there was violence committed in the region, a case should be registered by now , he said.
The YSRCP was not going to tolerate any kind of harassment by the TDP and also alleged that a police battalion were sent there as per instructions from the Chief Minister’s office to round up Muslims, Kapus, SCs and others,he said. Ambati Rambabu said that they have filed a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) about the behaviour of Muppalla SI and also demanded that Kodela be arrested for booth capturing.
YSRCP State Secretary Nimmakayala Rajanarayana revealed some startling facts, that more than 500 rowdy sheeters from Narasaraopet were holed up in hotels and apartments in Sattenapalli at the time of elections. He also said that two men who were injured were from Narsaraopeta and questioned as to what were they doing in the Inumetla booth. Along with Narra Babu Rao around 50 to 60 people were with him in the booth, he said. He also questioned as to what Kodela himself was doing in the Inumetla booth by sitting there for more than an hour and a half ,he questioned further. If he closes the booth doors and tears his own shirt wont that create a feeling of anxiety among the people and give them an impression that something had happened to the Speaker,he asked further.
