Whenever a big leader takes up a rally or participates in an election campaign amidst a big crowd, there are bound to be certain unwarranted incidents of stone pelting, or egg hurling or chappal throwing by some mischievous elements.
It happened in the past at Union home minister Amit Shah’s rally or at the recent election meeting of West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and many other politicians.
Even when Telangana chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao addressed public meetings, some disgruntled youth created troubles. And his son K T Rama Rao, too, faced the revolt from some youth, supposedly belonging to ABVP, when he was attending a programme in Warangal.
The stone-pelting during the road show of Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu as part of his election campaign can be seen only in that angle. It is definitely condemnable incident and the police should definitely probe into the same and act against the mischievous elements.
In democracy, everybody has the right to campaign for his or her party and ultimately, it is for the people to decide whom they should vote for. But attempts to demoralise the leaders by attacking him with chappals or stones or eggs is highly condemnable.
Having said that, one would also be surprised at the way Naidu and his party leaders are trying to use the incident to target the police and the state government.
There was no need for Naidu to squat on the Tirupati roads and stall the traffic for hours, demanding that he should speak to the superintendent of police.
The TDP leaders were projecting the incident as if there was a murder attempt on Naidu by the Jagan government.
A delegation of the TDP leaders is meeting Governor Biswabhushan Harichandan in Raj Bhavan on Tuesday evening to lodge a complaint against the Jagan government.
Another delegation is meeting Union home secretary in Delhi and requesting him that the by-election to Tirupati should be held under the supervision of central paramilitary forces. What would the TDP gain from politicising such a stray incident of stone pelting?
Nothing. The people of Tirupati would not change their mind with just one or two such incidents. They might have already made up their mind as to whom they vote for. So, it would be a futile attempt on the part of the TDP leaders to raise such a hue and cry!
