Southern States - Andhra Pradesh   

A.P. CLP chief suspends padayatra

By Our Staff Reporter

RAJAHMUNDRY MAY 20. The chief spokesman of the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee, K. Rosaiah, on Tuesday announced suspension of the padayatra by the Congress Legislature Party leader, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, `till doctors give him the green signal to carry on it.' Dr. Reddy had reluctantly agreed to this, Mr. Rosaiah added.

Speaking to newsmen, near Madhurapudi, where Dr. Reddy has been taking rest since May 17, Mr. Rosaiah said: "The health of Dr. Reddy is now the concern of the people of Andhra Pradesh and, individuals, including Dr. Reddy himself, should not take a decision on this.''

Mr. Rosaiah, however, asserted that there was no change in his programme as such and Dr. Reddy would complete the entire journey as was originally planned. He would resume his journey from where he had stopped, Madhurapudi. But the timing of the resumption of the padayatra would be decided by the team of doctors who had been attending on him, Mr. Rosaiah said, adding that Dr. Reddy would not be shifted to any hospital. He said that experts from Hyderabad would be sent, if necessary.

The team of doctors attending on Dr. Reddy — A. Srinivas Rao, K.S.R. Murthy and B. Krishnarjuna Choudary — said that Dr. Reddy's condition was stable and the main problem was gastroenteritis. Antibiotics and other drugs were given. According to the team of doctors, Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy would require at least three to four days of rest to resume his padayatra.

Mr. Rosaiah later charged the TDP leadership with following a single-point agenda of criticising Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy and his padayatra while people in the State had been reeling under unprecedented drought. There was no discussion on the need to extend relief to the drought-affected people at mini Mahanadus which were held in various districts recently, he said.

Hundreds of villages had been facing acute drinking water problem. Tens of thousands, who included middle class people, had been migrating in search of employment.

Andhra Pradesh was one of the States where unemployment was high. Cattle had been dying. Instead of attending to these urgent issues, mini-Mahanadus chose to criticise the CLP leader and his padayatra, he said.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Southern States

News: Front Page | National | Southern States | Other States | International | Opinion | Business | Sport | Miscellaneous |
Advts: Classifieds | Employment | Obituary |

Stories in this Section

• A.P. CLP chief suspends padayatra
• Janmabhoomi next round being put off
• Heatwave claims 20 lives
• Extremists torch three tippers
• Sonia makes brief stopover in Vizag
• Naidu bets on winning horses
• Case booked against Anakapalle MLA
• POW backs bandh
• Nod for Devadula project hailed
• CPI(M) accuses Govt. of double standard
• Naxals kill TDP leader, stage `famine raid'

Copyright © 2003, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu