BJP decries Congress leaders’ “Goebbellian propaganda” on victory in three States

HYDERABAD: The Andhra Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has accused the Congress leaders of indulging in “Goebbellian propaganda” that the party’s victory in three States reflected the trust reposed by people in AICC president Sonia Gandhi’s leadership.

At a press conference here on Wednesday, G. Kishan Reddy, MLA, and N. Ramchander Rao, spokesperson, said that the BJP had lost to the Congress in Rajasthan and New Delhi due to certain lapses in the party’s strategy and not due to people’s faith in Ms. Gandhi’s leadership.

They maintained that the Congress had won in only five of the 18 States after Manmohan Singh became the Prime Minister. Did it mean that the party was defeated in the remaining 13 States due to lack of people’s faith in her stewardship? The BJP leaders said local issues, a leader’s ability and the government’s functioning would impact the outcome in such elections rather than national issues. They hit out at the Congress for indulging in propaganda that people were not affected by recent incidents of terrorism.

Acid attack on two girls in A.P.

WARANGAL: In a ghastly incident, two girl students of KITS engineering college were attacked with acid by motorcycle-borne miscreants when they were returning home on a scooter here on Wednesday. K. Swapnika was badly injured while her friend T. Praneetha (21) sustained severe burns.

Police are searching for Srinivas, a neighbour of Swapnika, and for possible accomplices. They have constituted three special teams to nab Srinivas, who was arrested sometime ago following a complaint that he was harassing the girl.

Ms. Swapnika was battling for life at the MGM Hospital as she sustained 40 per cent burns on her shoulders while her right eye was badly damaged. Doctors reportedly advised the parents to shift her to Hyderabad for advanced treatment. Meanwhile, Praneetha, who was driving the two-wheeler, escaped with relatively less injuries as she was wearing a helmet. She was admitted to a private hospital.

K. Devender Rao, father of Swapnika, alleged that the police failed to take sufficient action against Srinivas although he had lodged a complaint at the Subedari police station. An ex-servicemen residing in Bhavani Nagar, Mr. Rao said Srinivas (32), a realtor, had been harassing his daughter for long, seeking her love. When he warned him to desist from such harassment, Srinivas burnt his two-wheeler one night to intimidate his family. Mr. Devender said the police registered a case against the accused, who was, however, released after being arrested. “I suspect him to be responsible for the attack, I have no suspicion on any other person,” he told a battery of media men who surrounded him at the MGM Hospital.

Warangal range DIG K. Lakshman Mohan and Superintendent of Police V. C. Sajjanar visited the girls at both the hospital.

Mr. Sajjanar said Swapnika was being shifted to the Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad.