VIJAYAWADA: A drunken man attacked transport minister Perni Venkataramaiah alias Nani with a trowel at Machilipatnam on Sunday. The minister escaped unhurt and the attacker was arrested. The incident took place when the minister was performing rituals to his mother Nageswaramma, who passed away recently, at his residence.
The man, identified as Badugu Nageswara Rao, a mason by occupation, came up to the minister, pretended to touch his feet and attacked him with the trowel. The first blow hit the minister on the waist belt.
An Anganwadi teacher G. Padma, standing beside the minister, screamed for help and restrained the accused. When the Nageswara Rao tried to attack the minister again, security personnel and the minister’s followers caught him. The shirt of the minister was torn, but he escaped without injuries
Nageswara Rao was found to be in an inebriated condition. The attacker, who hails from Chemmanagiripeta of Godugupeta in Machilipatnam, claimed to have…