FIR Filed Against TDP President Chandrababu Naidu For Claims Over N440K COVID-19 Strain

The Andhra Pradesh Police filed a first information report (FIR) against Nara Chandrababu Naidu, the President of the Telugu Desam Party (TDP.)

M. Subbaiah, a lawyer of Kurnool registered the FIR against Mr. Chandrababu Naidu. According to the FIR, the TDP President has been alleged of creating panic amongst the public against the N440K strain of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) found in Andhra Pradesh. He is alleged to have said the N440K Coronavirus strain is prevalent and deadly as compared to the other strains. In the FIR, he said, “His utterances have caused panic and distress among people. They have been resulting in mental duress in women and children, leading to their deaths.”

Citing the recent ban on A.P., travelers in Delhi, Mr. Subbaiah said, “States like Odisha and Delhi have imposed restriction on people from Andhra Pradesh and people of the State are looked down upon because of the former chief minister’s claims.”

However, the statement of Chandrababu Naidu regarding the new strain has been refuted by the Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP.) The Minister of Transport and Information and Public Relations of A.P., Perni Venkataramaiah, popularly called Perni Nani, said there is no proof or diagnosis of the new mutant (N440K.) He even asked the people to be cautious of Chandrababu Naidu and said, “(He) is more dangerous than COVID-19.”

Perni Nani said, “No confirmation has been made on the spread of N440K virus and senior scientists have also confirmed that there is no new mutant virus in the country except B.1.617…Chandrababu Naidu is trying to gain from these situations by making cheap politics around.”

The Kurnool Police lodged the case under sections 188 and 505(1)(b)(2) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 54 of the Disaster Management Act 2005.

The investigation is underway.

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