Cong. chalks out agitation programme

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, APRIL 8. The Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee has chalked out a phased agitational programme culminating in a rally in Hyderabad on May 30 to expose what it calls the ``anti-people action'' of the Telugu Desam Government in the State and the BJP- led Government at the Centre.

At the first general body meeting of the APCC(I) after the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections here on Saturday, issues like Constitutional review (which the party is opposing), rise in prices of urea, diesel, cooking gas and subsidy rice figured prominently.

The question of finding successor to Dr. Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, who has resigned as PCC(I) president following the party's electoral debacle, was also raised at the meeting. Dr. Reddy himself urged the high command to name his successor as early as possible.

But Mr. M. Narayanaswamy, AICC secretary, who attended as the observer of the Central leadership, dodged the issue on the pretext that the process of organisational election was under way. He interacted with DCC presidents and other party functionaries separately on party affairs.

In a resolution adopted at the meeting the APCC(I) expressed unstinted loyalty and faith in the leadership of Mrs. Sonia Gandhi ``in this hour of crisis,'' and condemned the ``disruptive activities'' of certain disgruntled elements in the party to weaken the leadership. ``It is ridiculous that a senior leader like Mr. Chabildas Mehta, former Chief Minister of Gujarat, publicly questioned the propriety of Mrs. Gandhi to be Prime Ministerial candidate but wants her to head the party.'' The APCC(I) urged the high command to take stringent action against such elements, however big one could be.

Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy told the meeting that the District Congress Committees would organise mandal-level protest programmes from April 20 to May 10 which would be followed by rallies at district headquarters on May 20. A State-level dharna would be organised in Hyderabad on May 30 and the party leaders would submit a memorandum to the Governor, Dr. C. Rangarajan. The protest programme was directed against the burden cast on the commonman through various taxation measures, higher power tariffs and hike in the price of subsidised rice.The thrust of the speeches at the three-hour meeting was on the actions of both the Central and State Governments harming the poorer sections. But most speakers did not miss the opportunity of affirming their loyalty to Mrs. Sonia Gandhi by flaying her critics within the party. Besides Mr. Chabildas Mehta, names of Mr. Rajesh Pilot, Mr. Kapil Sibal, Mr. Balram Jakhar and Mr. Dronamraju Satyanarayana were mentioned in this context and action against them was sought.

Mr. Narayanaswamy said the Constitutional review was aimed at bringing in a ``Hindu rastra.'' The party was, therefore, opposing the review. He accused Mr. Chandrababu Naidu of adopting double standard by flaying the BJP-led Government for increasing the prices of urea and kerosene but doing similar things back on his home turf (increase in subsidy rice price and power tariffs).

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