The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has reacted strongly to the clash that occurred during the Tirupati Municipal Corporation Deputy Mayor by-election. It has sought a report on it from the Chief Secretary of the AP government, Vijayanand, and the AP Director General of Police, Harish Kumar Gupta.
It may be recalled that during the Deputy Mayor election, TDP, Jana Sena and BJP leaders and activists allegedly attacked YSR Congress Party corporators. On the 3rd of this month, while local public representatives and corporators were going to the corporation in a bus, there were allegations that TDP alliance leaders led by two rowdy sheeters stopped the bus and attacked it.
Former Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy of the YSR Congress Party criticized them for breaking the windows of the bus and removing the air from the tires before it could move forward. They alleged that the driver was beaten up and that the attack took place in broad daylight on the highway in the presence of the police while everyone was watching.
They alleged that they had committed this attack with the intention of kidnapping their corporators. They were furious that despite not having the strength to do so, Muni Krishna of the TDP won the deputy mayor election.
YSRCP leaders filed a complaint with the district SP of Tirupati with full details of the attack and the names of the main accused. Based on this complaint, a case was registered at the Sri Venkateswara University Police Station. The YSRCP alleged that the FIR was registered without the names of the main accused.
Meanwhile, on the 14th of this month, Tirupati MP Dr. M Gurumurthy approached the NHRC. He complained that the police ignored despite High Court orders that YSRCP Corporators should be provided protection during the Tirupati Deputy Mayor election day, to exercise their right to vote.
After examining all this, the NHRC ordered the Chief Secretary to the government and the state DGP to submit an action taken report within four weeks on what steps have been taken so far in connection with this attack.