Politician stabbed at Vizag airport

YSR Congress Party president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy suffered a minor injury at the Visakhapatam airport in a knife attack by a man and was yesterday admitted to a hospital in Hyderabad even as Andhra Pradesh’s ruling TDP voiced doubts that the attack could be a political conspiracy.Soon after landing in Hyderabad, the Andhra Pradesh’s leader of opposition was admitted to a hospital. Doctors said his condition was stable.The injury on his left arm was three to four inch deep and it required nine stitches, the doctors said. With doubts being expressed by YSRCP leaders that the knife could have been laced with poison, the doctors sent his blood samples for examination.Jagan sustained injury on his left arm when he was stabbed by a youth who sneaked up to him with a request to take a selfie, police said.The attacker, identified as Jaripalli Srinivas, works as a waiter at a restaurant at the airport.A commandant of the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) overpowered the attacker, who was handed over to police. Jagan continued his journey to Hyderabad after getting first aid from the airport staff.Andhra Pradesh director general of police R P Thakur said they were questioning the accused. The police chief said Srinivas claimed to be a fan of Jagan. “Prima facie it appears that he resorted to the attack for publicity,” he said.The officer said the police had no role in the security measures inside the airport. He said it was for CISF to find out how the attacker managed to carry a knife into the airport. A case has been registered by the police on a complaint by CISF.The YSRCP chief visits Hyderabad every Friday to attend the court in the disproportionate assets case. Jagan tweeted after landing in Hyderabad that he was safe.