Congress slams rumours of party’s role in Kotha Prabhakar Reddy’s stabbing, demands CBI probe

Hyderabad: A day after BRS MP Kotha Prabhakar Reddy, the party’s candidate from the Dubbak Assembly segment was stabbed in the stomach in Siddipet district, the Congress party is demanding a CBI inquiry into the attack, stating that the party has no connection with Prabhakar Reddy’s attacker.

The incident happened while Prabhakar Reddy was campaigning in Siddipet. A man walked up to him, and it seemed like he wanted to shake hands with the leader. But he suddenly pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the stomach. The attacker was caught and thrashed by the BRS workers at the rally.

The accused, identified as Raju, was taken into custody and was booked on the charge of attempt to murder.

Soon after the attack, Reddy was given primary medical treatment and was shifted to Yashoda Hospital in Hyderabad where doctors performed surgery on him.

Congress leaders questioned the reason for shifting Prabhakar Reddy to Yasoda Hospital instead of treating him at Siddipet Super Speciality Hospital. “The man who attacked Prabhakar Reddy did not receive Dalit Bandhu and did not receive Rs 3 lakhs for the construction of a house. He is in an inebriated condition at the time of the attack. A CBI enquiry should be made,” said Dubbaka Congress candidate Cheruku Srinivas Reddy.

He stated that rumours are being spread that the man who attacked Prabhakar Reddy belongs to Congress. The persons in Facebook photos which are being shared are in BRS and not in Congress, he stated.

“While he worked as a reporter for a local news app, he fought for journalist welfare schemes,” said the Congress party.

Reddy’s condition is stable

The health condition of Prabhakar Reddy is stable, doctors at the private hospital treating him, said on Tuesday.

The doctors stated that they initially tried laparoscopy which showed evidence of bowel perforation in four places (two intestinal loops through-in-through) extending to the surrounding mesentery. In view of time and the potential for peritonitis, the surgical approach was converted to open laparotomy, as per guideline and a 10 cm bowel resection was done. Intestinal anastomosis was performed successfully, the doctors said.

“Post-surgery, the patient was moved to the surgical critical care unit where he is being monitored by a multidisciplinary team comprising surgical gastroenterologists, intensivists and others. The patient is conscious, verbalising and recuperating from the major surgery,” a medical bulletin issued by Yashoda Hospitals said.

“The patient is haemodynamically stable with normal labs and no fever as of date, without any significant pain, other than at the surgical site,” it said adding that the patient still needs to be kept in the critical care unit for the next 24 to 48 hours.