Saturday, May 14 2005 16:38 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Hyderabad: A day after large-scale violence and police firing in the faction-ridden Anantapur district leading to death of six TDP (Telugu Desam Party) activists and a policeman, the blame-game by political parties in Andhra Pradesh continued even as the Opposition party organised protest rallies across the State.

TDP supremo and former Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu today (May 14, 2005) airdashed to Penukonda, the scene of mob violence and police firing during the filing of nomination papers by TDP candidate P Sunitha, and consoled the families of TDP workers killed in police firing.

Blaming the police for the incident, Naidu said some police officers were "deliberately" spreading "disinformation" to cover up their "failure".

"It is unfortunate that police officials are pushing the blame on our party workers. We strongly object to the statement by the district Superintendent of Police (Praveen Kumar) that bombs were hurled by the crowd during the scuffle with policemen on duty (at RDO's office in Penukonda where nomination papers were filed by TDP candidate)," Naidu told reporters at Penukonda after visiting the injured partymen at local hospital.

Meanwhile, the State Home Minister K Jana Reddy, accompanied by Director General of Police Swaranjit Sen, visited the spot and consoled the bereaved families.

TDP activists organised sit-ins across the State to protest the killing of their partymen in police firing. The Opposition workers burnt the effigy of Chief Minister at Hyderguda area in Hyderabad.