MP Kotha Prabhakar Reddy stabbed while campaigning after attacker disguised as supporter pulls out knife
TELANGANA MP Kotha Prabhakar Reddy was stabbed in a harrowing incident while campaigning for the KCR party.
The unsettling attack took place in Surampally village, Daulatabad Mandal where the minister was leading a political rally.
Just before the incident, MP Reddy was walking towards a pastor’s home when an unidentified man approached him.
He pretended to be a follower of the leader and seemed like he wanted to shake hands with him.
The man, however, pulled out a knife from his pocket as he reached near Reddy and stabbed him in the gut.
The attacker was immediately caught by the party workers who then thrashed him during the rally.
Footage from the scene showed Prabhakar Reddy pressing against the painful wound to stop bleeding while sitting in a car.
He was soon moved to the Gajwel government hospital for immediate medical attention.
Reportedly, he sustained minor injuries and is in stable condition.
After the incident, authorities apprehended the unidentified attacker and an investigation is underway.
Commissioner of Police N Swetha said in a statement: “The assailant has been taken into custody and we are verifying his details.”
Local media reports claim the attacker was identified as Raju – a resident of Chepyal village in the same district.
However, the motive behind the attack is yet to be discovered.
Reacting to the incident, Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao said that everyone should “unequivocally condemn” the attack on Reddy.
He added: “The attack on our Dubbak candidate is an attack on me.
These attacks need to be stopped immediately, or else we will have to resort to similar acts.”
Telangana Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan expressed: “I am shocked to learn about the attack on Reddy.
“Violence has no place in democracy, and such incidents are a threat to the democratic process.
“It is essential to maintain a peaceful and secure environment for free and fair elections.”
The harrowing incident took place just days after the Bharat Rashtra Samithi had fielded Reddy as its candidate in poll-bound Telangana.
Currently, Reddy represents the state’s Medak parliamentary constituency in Lok Sabha.