Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Thursday afternoon postponed the scheduled release of the state government's white paper on the law and order situation after the opposition YSR Congress stepped up its attack on the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and alleged that the person seen brutally killing a YSR Congress worker on a busy road was a member of the ruling party.
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YSRCP youth wing leader Sheikh Rasheed (27) was hacked to death by Sheikh Jilani at the crowded Mandalamudi bus stand in Vinukonda town of Andhra Pradesh's Palnadu district around 8:30 pm on Wednesday. In a widely circulated video capturing the murder, Jilani is seen chopping off Rasheed's hands with a machete before attacking him on the neck. Rasheed was rushed to a local hospital but could not survive.
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Palnadu district Superintendent of Police Kanchi Srinivasa Rao ruled out any political motive behind the murder. He said that according to preliminary information, the murder was solely due to personal enmity between the deceased and the accused. Rao said that after committing the murder, Jilani fled and is missing. A search operation has been launched to nab the accused. Prohibitory orders have been imposed in Vinukonda town to maintain peace. As the YSR Congress tried to corner the TDP over the murder, the state government issued a statement announcing that the white paper on law and order in the state besides excise policy and state finances would be released in the upcoming assembly budget session beginning on July 23. The white paper was scheduled to be released at 3 pm.
The TDP also rejected the YSR Congress' claim that Sheikh Jilani was its member, and said both Rasheed and Jilani were YSRCP workers. TDP official spokesperson and MLC G Deepak Reddy said there was no truth in the allegations of YSRCP's involvement. “This is false. The police have investigated the matter. It was a dispute between two friends and both belonged to the YSRCP. The opposition is falsely accusing the TDP.
