The windshield of the helicopter that flew former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy to Nyamaddala in Ramagiri mandal, Satya Sai district, was damaged on Tuesday when a large crowd surged toward the helipad as the chopper landed.
The police were unable to control the situation, and in the chaos, the helicopter’s windshield sustained damage.
Despite the commotion, Jagan disembarked safely and proceeded by road in a four-wheeler to Papireddypalli village, located about three kilometers away. There, he met and consoled the family of YSRCP worker Lingamaiah, who was killed a few days earlier.
As the crowd remained around the helipad and police failed to secure the area, the helicopter pilot chose to fly out to prevent further damage to the aircraft. With his return chopper unavailable, Jagan had to travel back to Bengaluru by road.
YSR Congress Party leaders strongly criticized the state government for what they termed a gross failure to ensure adequate police deployment at the helipad, especially given that Jagan is a Z+ category protectee.
“This isn’t the first time such negligence has occurred,” a party leader pointed out. “Even during his February 19 visit to Guntur’s Mirchi Yard to support farmers, not a single police officer was present despite prior intimation.”
YSRCP leaders allege the repeated lapses suggest a deliberate attempt to jeopardize the former chief minister’s public programs.
