Government's attempt to whitewash the mishap and ruling party's moves to protect its leaders, whose bus took 11 lives, was all too evident. When YSRCP chief YS Jagan Mohan Reddy went to Nandigama Hospital, where the bodies of the mishap victims were kept, the TDP tried to every trick in its trade to stall him.

The TDP men tried to stop YS Jagan from entering Nandigama Hospital and did not pay any heed to the YSRCP leaders' entreaties that Leader of Opposition should not be stopped from meeting the victims.

Even his media address inside the hospital was stopped midway and the doctors tried to postpone giving medical reports. YSRCP activists and leaders had to stage a dharna to protest against this attitude.

YS Jagan interacted with the kin of the victims and spoke to the doctors. He appealed to the doctors and the police to treat the issue humanely and help the victims.

He accused the TDP government of trying to shield its leaders, who own the ill-fated bus. He said ruling party MPs JC Diwakar Reddy and Kesineni Nani own a fleet of buses and flout all norms. "They use the same number plate for many vehicles. They flout all rules," he said.

He demanded that government make the Diwakar Travels to pay Rs 20 lakh to the kin of each of the deceased. He said such drastic moves will make the bus owners to be more careful. He also expressed surprise at the police trying to pack the bodies of the victims without conducting a proper post mortem. He said the authorities did not examine whether the driver was drunk at the time of the incident.

"The second driver was not arrested. The officials say he left the place. Did he have a valid driving licence? Was he drunk too? Was he sent away to protect the owners?"YS Jagan asked. He also pointed out that the but after hitting the culvert wall flew in air for a good 150 feet before falling down. This shows the driver was drunk and was driving at at least 150 kmph,"he pointed out.

He asked the government not to protect the culprits and asked the police to conduct an impartial probe.