Vijayawada: Deputy Chief Minister K E Krishna Murthy had denied his involvement in the murder of YSR Congress leader Ch Narayana Reddy in Kurnool district on Sunday.

Speaking to media persons here, Krishna Murthy refuted the allegations leveled against him and his son Shyambabu by YSR Congress president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy. He said that he had never been associated with crime. “My politics are development-oriented and not crime-oriented,” Krishna Murthy asserted.

The deputy chief minister further said that he was elected to the Lok Sabha once and Assembly six times only because of his clean politics. He sought to advise the YSR Congress leaders to know the facts before making allegations against him.

He said that Narayana Reddy had several enemies in the Rayalaseema politics and wanted the YSR Congress leaders to know who was responsible for the murder. He said that he had been working to provide employment opportunities for the youth of Prathikonda Constituency after the TDP formed the government. He said his initiatives have prevented the youth from getting into the criminal and faction politics in the area. He was thus trying to put an end to the faction politics in his area, he asserted.

Krishna Murthy said that he had been an undisputed leader from the BCs in the undivided Andhra Pradesh and people of the two Telugu States are aware of his nature and politics. He denied having criminal background in his political career.