Home Minister alleges Jagan’s involvement in ‘conspiracy’ to damage Prakasam Barrage

Alleging YSRCP president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s role in the “conspiracy to damage Prakasam Barrage gate”, Andhra Pradesh Home Minister V. Anitha said that investigation into the incident was on and two persons had been taken into custody. She said that strict action would be initiated against the culprits.

Alleging YSRCP president and former Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy’s role in the “conspiracy to damage Prakasam Barrage gate”, Andhra Pradesh Home Minister V. Anitha said that investigation into the incident was on and two persons had been taken into custody. She said that strict action would be initiated against the culprits.

“At a time when heavy inflows of 11.4 lakh cusecs of water into the Prakasam Barrage were sending the officials into a tizzy, Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy planned such criminal act to spoil the reputation of the NDA government. Initially, we thought it was an accident. We were shocked after knowing the facts. Clearly, it was a man-made conspiracy,” the Home Minister told the media in Visakhapatnam on September 10 (Tuesday).

Ms. Anitha alleged that the owners of two boats that crashed into the Gate Number 69 of Prakasam Barrage were supporters of former YSRCP MP Nandigam Suresh and relatives of YSRCP MLC Talasila Raghuram. She said the boats were also painted with the colours YSRCP.

“Each boat weighs around 40 tonnes to 50 tonnes. The boats should be anchored properly during floods. Shockingly, the owners of the boats tied one another with nylon ropes, which indicates that the boats were released deliberately to damage the Prakasam Barrage,” Ms. Anitha said, adding that a sedition case should be registered against Mr. Jagan Mohan Reddy.

She hailed Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu for his immediate response to help the flood victims.

She also said that several YSRCP leaders who were unable to provide one food packet to flood victims were “sitting in air-conditioned rooms and blaming the NDA government”.

Earlier in the day, the Home Minister conducted a video conference with all Collectors and SPs across the State and reviewed the flood situation and post-flood measures. She asked the officers to remain alert and maintain a permanent toll-free number at the control rooms for disaster management.