By IANS
Hyderabad : The row over a brawl involving the brother of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy and son of senior legislator of the ruling Congress party P. Janardhan Reddy refuses to die down with both sides sticking to their stand.
A day after Janardhan Reddy, a bitter critic of the chief minister, threatened to launch a fast-unto-death if the chief minister’s brother and nephew were not booked and arrested for attempt to murder, the chief minister’s brother Y.S. Ravindernath Reddy Thursday asked him to drop his ‘unjust demand.’
Ravindernath Reddy, a businessman, along with his son addressed a news conference to narrate the road rage incident that took place Sunday night in MLA Quarters in Jubliee Hills.
He said he and his family were hurt by the statements made by Janardhan Reddy and the attempts by another Congress legislator M. Sashidhar Reddy as well as leaders of other parties to politicise the incident.
Janardhan Reddy is also demanding suspension of a police officer and an impartial inquiry into the incident.
His son P. Vishnuvardhan Reddy and son-in-law Santosh Reddy were arrested late Sunday on various charges, including attempt to murder for assaulting Ravindernath Reddy and his son Y.S. Sumadhar Reddy.
The incident occurred when Ravindernath Reddy’s son blew the horn of his car on seeing another vehicle parked on the road.
“If Janardhan Reddy is a man of conscience, he should drop his unfair demands. I request him not to resort to cheap politics,” said Ravindernath Reddy.
“Is he demanding attempt to murder case against us and threatening to go on fast-unto-death because we are alive?” he asked.
“How can the victims be booked for attempt to murder?” he wondered and said law will take its own course in the matter.
Drawing a sketch, he narrated the whole incident and alleged that Vishnuvardhan Reddy and some of his followers hit him and his son 40 to 50 times. “They kept raining the blows on us for a distance of 100 metres even after I introduced myself as the brother of the chief minister. If we are alive today it is because of god’s grace,” said Ravindernath Reddy, who was discharged from hospital Wednesday.
“I was shocked and disturbed. It was such a humiliating, inhuman and barbaric act,” he said.
Ravindernath Reddy however, said Janardhan Reddy had nothing to do with the incident. “It is neither a political nor a family problem. It is purely a personal incident,” he said and appealed to other parties not to give it a political twist.
To a query, he said he did not feel it was premeditated. “I don’t feel it was premeditated. It was attitudinal problem,” Ravindernath said, adding that he was hurt by the attempt by Janardhan Reddy and his son to distort facts.
He said Rajasekhara Reddy called on him at the hospital in his personal capacity and not as the chief minister. “Can’t he meet me as a brother?” he asked referring to the criticism from Janardhan Reddy.
“I am an ordinary citizen. I am a businessman. It is purely incidental that I am brother of so and so,” he said.
Meanwhile, senior Congress leader V. Hanumanth Rao began efforts to mediate between the two families. He met the chief minister, his brother and Janardhan Reddy and counselled them to sort out the matter amicably.