TIRUPATI: A farmer affiliated with Opposition Telugu Desam Party (TDP), destroyed his own crop at the behest of the local TDP leaders, who tried pinning the blame on the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP). And why was this foolhardy act done? Local TDP leaders in a bid to garner publicity for TDP MLC Nara Lokesh’s Padayatra which was going to pass through Thottambedu mandal in Tirupati district in Andhra Pradesh, hatched a conspiracy to malign the YSRCP and the government.

As per reports, the farmer in question Muralikrishna Reddy, a party worker from Chittathur village in the Mandal had cultivated groundnut on 4.25 acres of farmland. The local TDP leaders told him to destroy the crop and spread the word that it was a local YSRCP leader named Anand Reddy who had done it. They told him that since Nara Lokesh would be passing by, they would bring him to his residence and ensure that he gets compensation and also make him a leader.

Falling for their words Muralikrishna Reddy took the help of a tractor driver named Madhusudhan to destroy the groundnut crop with a rotavator on the 9th of this month (Thursday) night. Muralikrishna Reddy went to the farm on Friday morning and blamed the YSRCP leader stating that he had destroyed his crop.

As per the plan, the local TDP leaders from the village rushed to the farm and created a commotion, and made serious allegations against the YSRCP leaders and the AP government. They went ahead and complained to the Thottambedu Mandal police.

But that proved to be the undoing of their conspiracy and the police registered the case and started an investigation. They examined the call data and CC footage around the farmland and found the farmer going toward his farm on Thursday. They interrogated Muralikrishna Reddy and Madhusudan and the farmer spilled the beans. The farmer revealed the conspiracy of the local TDP leaders to gain publicity and impress Nara Lokesh during the padayatra, which eventually backfired.

Circle Inspector Vikram said that Muralikrishna Reddy admitted that he had destroyed his own crop with the help of driver Madhusudan.

This is not the first such incident where the TDP leaders' desperation had come to the fore. Earlier they posted fake news on social media that an APSRTC bus driver was sacked by officials for shaking hands with Nara Lokesh during his visit to Kuppam. Interestingly a report in Eenadu newspaper stated that it was false news and the driver was in service.

Also Read: Fact Check: APSRTC Warns TDP, Nara Lokesh Against False News Campaign