Andhra Pradesh police in Guntur district have initiated an investigation after a YSRCP supporter was run over by the vehicle of former chief minister and party president Jagan Mohan Reddy on Wednesday. Cheeli Singaiah, aged 55, died after he slipped and fell in front of the vehicle while he was trying to shower flowers on Jagan. The video of the accident surfaced online and showed the vehicle’s front right wheel apparently ran over the man’s neck.

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The man was immediately taken to the nearby hospital and later to the Guntur Government Hospital, but he died on the way, Guntur Superintendent of Police S Satish Kumar told Indian Express. Apparently, it was thought that Singaiah got injured after he climbed on a vehicle in Jagan’s convoy and fell down. The videos of him being crushed under the vehicle in which Jagan was travelling went viral on social media.

The incident happened as Jagan was returning from Rentapalla village in Palnadu district. He had gone there to meet and console the relatives of a former sarpanch, whose death was attributed to police harassment.

On the same day, P Jayvardhan Reddy, a 30-year-old YSRCP supporter, collapsed and died amidst a gathering of Jagan’s supporters near the Sattenapalli clock tower. He was declared dead upon arrival at the Guntur Government Hospital.

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The Pushpa controversy 

Jagan’s visit had already sparked controversy due to a placard displayed by a YSRCP supporter. The placard, held by a party supporter named T Raviteja on Wednesday, quoted a line from the movie Pushpa 2. The placard read, “When YSRCP comes to power in 2029… rapa rapa narukuta”, which translates to “cut them down, one by one”.