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Seven Congress activists were killed and four others were grievously injured, allegedly by rival Telugu Desam Party workers, in connection with a factional feud in the coastal district of Guntur in Andhra Pradesh on Saturday.
Additional Director-General of Police M L Kumawat said the incident occurred at Veldurthi village in Guntur district, about 350 km south-east of Hyderabad, when 11 Congress workers, who were going to the Durgi police station were attacked, allegedly by the TDP activists.
"The Congress workers were proceeding by road from Macherla to Durgi police station, for attendance in connection with a case. They were attacked with sickles and axes. Seven Congressmen died on the spot, while four sustained injuries," Kumawat said.
The additional DGP said, "Senior police officials, including Guntur Range Deputy Inspector-General of Police Malakondaiah and Superintendent of Police Purnachandra Rao have gone to the spot with reinforcements, to maintain law and order in the area. The four injured persons were shifted to the Macherla government hospital."
Kumawat said that the incident occurred between 10.30 and 1100 hours IST about seven km from Durgi police station.
He said Saturday's killings were the outcome of a factional feud between the groups led by Congress leader J Sambi Reddy and TDP leader J Brahma Reddy.
The rivalry developed soon after general elections in September 1999. On December 27, 1999, J Hanimi Reddy, a TDP activist, was allegedly killed by Congress supporters in Macherla. J Sambi Reddy, who led the Congress group, and six others were arrested in connection with the murder and were remanded. They were recently released on conditional bail.
In fact, Sambi Reddy was going to Durgi to sign the conditional bail papers in connection with another case when the attack took place.
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