After losing power to the Telugu Desam Party-led coalition government in the last assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, the YSR Congress party has lost its clout in New Delhi. Its influence has come down further following the resignation of its biggest lobbyist V Vijay Sai Reddy.
Yet, the YSRCP still has a couple of leaders who have developed their personal goodwill at the Delhi level and their words are taken seriously.
One such leader is its Tirupati MP Maddila Gurumoorthy, who earned a good name among the national leaders in Delhi in a short time.
So, when he lodged a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission over the alleged attack on the elected representatives in Tirupati during the recent election of Tirupati municipal vice-chairman, the commission took it very seriously.
On Friday, the NHRC issued notices to Chief Secretary K Vijayanand and Director General of Police Harish Kumar Gupta, asking them to submit an Action Taken Report within four weeks regarding the Tirupati incident.
Seeking justice and the protection of democratic rights, Gurumoorthy complained that during the Deputy Mayor Election of Tirupati Municipal Corporation on February 3, a group of elected representatives, including corporators and office bearers, were attacked.
“Two rowdy sheeters allegedly led a mob that vandalized a bus carrying the representatives. The TDP workers broke windows, assaulted the driver, and deflated the bus’s tires. This incident occurred in the presence of the police and was widely covered by the media,” he said.
The Tirupati MP said despite a complaint being filed with the Superintendent of Police, Tirupati, the names of the accused were not included in the FIR. Though the high court had earlier ordered police to escort the bus, raising concerns about the lack of security, no action was taken, he said.
Gurumoorthy sought the intervention of the NHRC to address these concerns and ensure accountability in the matter.
