YSR fans go on rampage over TV report

HYDERABAD: Fans of late chief minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy attacked Reliance establishments across Andhra Pradesh on Thursday evening after a local TV channel telecast a sensational story published in a Russian online biweekly tabloid exiledonline.com, which alleged that the Ambanis were involved in the helicopter crash which killed YSR.

The report quoted the tabloid, which linked the alleged killing to YSR’s refusal to yield to pressure for a lower allocation of gas for AP from the Krishna Godavari basin. CBI officials who are investigating into the crash have so far not been able to get hold of any evidence to suggest that the crash was due to sabotage.

Units owned by the Reliance Industries and R-ADAG such as Reliance Towers, communications establishments, Reliance Fresh marts and petrol bunks were attacked by the YSR supporters. One Reliance Big Cinemas in Tirupati was also attacked, a ADAG spokesman said. Reports added Reliance Fresh, Reliance Mart and other outlets were damaged in the districts of Hyderabad, Kadapa, Tirupati, Rajahmundry, Khammam, Karimnagar and Anantapur.

An RIL spokesman confirmed seven outlets were attacked in Hyderabad, Kadapa, Vijayawada, Eluru and other places.

Meanwhile, YSR’s son and Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, through his own TV channel, appealed to the party workers not to resort to destruction.