Santosh Patnaik
Visakhapatnam: The controversy surrounding the suicide by an auto operator along with his family near Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh is taking political colours with ruling YSR Congress Party and opposition Telugu Desam Party trading charges against each other.
The death of Sk. Abdul Salam, his wife and two children by jumping before a running train due to alleged police harassment has put the government on the defensive.
On the orders of Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, the State Police arrested Circle Inspector Somasekhar Reddy and Head Constable Gangadhar for abetting suicide.
In the selfie-video shot by Salam before the suicide by the family on November 3, the police were blamed for the extreme step. He was accused of stealing after working in a gold shop in Kurnool district. After the case he was operating an auto.
TDP president and Leader of Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu alleged that the Government should own up responsibility for death of Salam and three other members of the poor family.
With several minority outfits expressing concern over the incident, the government gave ex gratia of Rs.25 lakh to lone survivor of the family.
Despite the arrests, the accused cops were granted bail within 24 hours by a local court which again led to Statewide protests by the TDP activists. Nazir, a TDP leader who led a protest in Visakhapatnam on Wednesday said atrocities on minorities were on the rise after YSRCP formed the Government.
At a function held at Vijayawada in connection with Minority Day, the Chief Minister accused TDP leadership of engaging a lawyer close to Chandrababu Naidu for getting bail for accused policemen. He said the government had approached the court to get the bail quashed.
Ministers Botsa Satyanarayana and Kodali Nani told media that TDP led by Chandrababu Naidu was politicising everything to stall development in the State.
