Back in Amaravati after 60 days, Naidu gets 'corona spreader' tag

As former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu returned to the capital Amaravati on May 25, after being stuck in Hyderabad for around 60 days, the ruling YSRCP has accused him of spreading COVID-19 in the state.

The Telugu Desam Party chief came back by road to Amaravati from Hyderabad, where was stuck due to the COVID-19 lockdown. As soon as Naidu and his son Nara Lokesh reached Amaravati, they received a great welcome from party workers, who flouted social-distancing norms. Many of them were not wearing face masks.

దారిపొడవునా చంద్రబాబు లాక్‌డౌన్‌ నిబంధ‌న‌ల‌ ఉల్లంఘన. గుంపులుగా చేరిన పార్టీ కార్యకర్తలకు అభివాదం చేస్తూ ఫోటోలకు ఫోజులు. @ncbn బాధ్యతారాహిత్యం, చెప్పేందుకే నీతులా? #NCBN #TDP #ChandrababuSpreadsCorona pic.twitter.com/cOhsKeoxMW

— YSR Congress Party (@YSRCParty) May 25, 2020

This prompted the YSRCP to accuse Naidu of violating lockdown norms. It took a dig a Naidu, claiming that he spread the disease in the state. The party even used hashtags like “#ChandrababuSpreadsCorona” on social media. The party also demanded that Naidu must self-quarantine for 14 days.

“…Chandrababu Naidu took out a rally from Hyderabad where hundreds gathered, garlanded him without using masks. Being a senior politician how could he do so? He should apologise,” said YSRCP leader Gadikota Srikanth Reddy.

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However, Naidu had got permission from both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh police to travel by road, reported Hindustan Times. Naidu had initially planned to fly to Visakhapatnam to meet families of the victims of the gas-leak incident in the city. But, after the Central government deferred the resumption of flight services by a day, he travelled to Amaravati by road.

TDP claimed that Naidu had instructed party cadre not to welcome him. However, some cadres had arrived to greet him. “It was a spontaneous response from the cadre who had been missing their leader for the last two months due to the lockdown,” said TDP spokesperson K Pattabhiram.

Naidu is set to address party members through video-conferencing on May 27 and 28, as part of the Maha Nadu conclave.