The Hindu : PJR ridicules MSR call for unity

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Aug 21, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

PJR ridicules MSR call for unity

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD Aug. 20. The APCC president, M. Satyanarayana Rao, has urged party leaders to set aside their differences "at least for the time- being'' and work for the party's success at the hustings.

Addressing a meeting to mark the 58th birth anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi at the party headquarters, Gandhi Bhavan, here, Mr. Rao laid emphasis on unity among party leaders and the cadre to win the elections.

``We can tackle the groups after getting elected to power. It is not prudent to debate now as to who should hold what position in the event of the party coming to power,'' he remarked.

But his advice was instantly scoffed at by one of the senior leaders, P. Janardhan Reddy, who was recently suspended from the party for anti-party activity. At Sadbhavana meeting at Charminar, he held Mr. Rao guilty of insulting Indira Gandhi and yet continuing in the party. "I shall carry on the fight against Mr. Satyanarayana Rao even if I am expelled from the party,'' Mr. Reddy vowed.

The meeting at the party office was organised by the APCC Panchayat Raj and Rural Development Cell. The PCC president and the leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, utilised the occasion to take the State Government to task for weakening the local bodies by imposing the official raj. They said the singular contribution of Rajiv Gandhi was to empower the local bodies through Constitutional amendments.

Mr. Satyanarayana Rao called upon elected representatives of local bodies to carry out their struggle against the State Government on the lines of the agitation organised by the party against the hike in power tariff. The party would stand by them in their fight, he assured.

Referring to party affairs, he said the morale of the party cadre was high but they were concerned by the manner in which the leaders conducted themselves. He also asked women to assert themselves and seek a better representation at the time of distribution of the party ticket.

Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy asked party activists to expose the "loot and corruption'' being indulged in by TDP leaders. He alleged that the Chief Minister was unabashedly shielding corrupt elements in his party.

The CLP leader spoke elaborately about what he called the "loot'' going on in the name of the Food-for-work programme. The guidelines of the Central Government were set aside and elected representatives were sidelined in the implementation of FFW.

He said the West Godavari district Collector called the bluff of the Energy Minister, K. Subbarayudu, by certifying that the stocks seized at Palacole were rice and not paddy. Yet he was continued in the Ministry. "The Minister seems to have the knack of converting rice into paddy,'' he said sarcastically. Similarly, the Minor Irrigation Minister, K.E. Prabahkar, was also let off despite his hand in diversion of rice in Kurnool district.

The CLP leader said ZP chairpersons belonging to the Congress were waging a legal battle for transfer of powers but party activists should be vigilant and expose "sub-standard works'' being carried out. The Congress was sure to come to power in the State and at the Centre under the leadership of Sonia Gandhi, he said.

The AICC SC/ST Cell chairman, G. Venkataswamy, the A.P. Mahila Congress president, J. Geeta Reddi, Renuka Chowdary, MP, the Khammam ZP chairman, Chandra Lingaiah Dora, the APCC Panchayat Raj abhiyan chairman, N. Satyanarayana, and others spoke.

`PCC leadership lacks courage': At the Charminar meeting, Mr. Janardhan Reddy launched a broadside against the PCC leadership.

Mr. Reddy said the PCC leadership lacked courage to take on the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu. He ridiculed the manner in which his suspension was effected. "I have not received the suspension orders till date. How do I reply to allegations against me,'' he said.

He said he would continue to fight against the PCC president, "who had been in and out of the Congress.'' G. Niranjan, chairman of the Rajiv Gandhi Sadbhavana Yatra commemoration committee, the PCC secretary, S. Krupa Rao, M.A. Khan, PCC executive member, Mohd Shareef, Congress floor leader, and others spoke.

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