Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan on Saturday warned that strict action would be taken against any leader who “attacks” any government official or “obstructs” him in his work.
He issued this warning after meeting a Dalit government official who was allegedly attacked by local YSRCP leader C. Sudarshan Reddy.
“If you (political leaders) attack officials out of arrogance, we will ensure you get appropriate punishment,” Kalyan told reporters outside Kadapa RIMS Hospital.
According to Kalyan, Sudarshan Reddy, along with several others, allegedly attacked and abused Jawahar Babu, Galiveedu Mandal Parishad Development Officer (MPDO) in Annamayya district, after he refused to give him the keys of the government room. . Kalyan said that apart from locking Babu in a room and beating him, he was given caste based abuses and ‘threatened to kill’.
He claimed that Sudarshan Reddy had a history of attacking officers and mentioned that in the past he had targeted officers like Shekhar Naik, Prathap and Srinivas Reddy.
Criticizing the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP), Kalyan said that even after being reduced to 11 seats, the arrogance of the party leaders has not diminished and he urged YS Jagan Mohan Reddy to rein in them.
The Deputy Chief Minister warned YSRCP leaders and other political figures that attacks on government officials would not be tolerated. Kalyan directed senior district officials to ensure that such incidents do not happen again.
