Date:23/12/2002 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2002/12/23/stories/2002122303470400.htm

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh

Jubilation over success of meeting

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD Dec. 22. The Congress is jubilant that its Warangal meeting addressed by Sonia Gandhi on Saturday was a great success and its leaders expressed determination to have more such meetings in the other regions of the State to push through the party ideology of `social justice, equality and fraternity'.

The focus of the party ideology are the weaker sections, including the poor among the upper castes, for which the Congress has a clear programme, the Congress Working Committee member, Sarojini Pulla Reddy, and other senior leaders, P. Shivshankar, M.Y. Mysoora Reddy, J.C. Diwakar Reddy and K.S. Rao told newsmen here on Sunday.

Mr. Shivshankar said a Congress leader of Srikakulam, Gorrela Haribabu, had floated the idea of having the next meeting for weaker sections of north coastal Andhra at Vizag.

Speaking on behalf of others, Mr. Shivshankar said the objective of the meetings is to mobilise the weaker sections behind the Congress. The Congress had set its goals on this most important segment of society. The ideology of the party for the uplift of these sections is co-terminus with what is enshrined in the Constitution.

On the other hand, the TDP is shorn of any ideas or ideology for weaker sections. It only wanted to cling to power. As regards the BJP, it is a case of `balkanisation' of society and the country will be divided if the party's policies are followed, Mr. Shivshankar said. The BJP must concede that every citizen has a right, that there should be no road-rolling them, but that is what is being pursued, Mr. Shivshankar maintained.

The former Union Minister thanked all the leaders for their contribution in making the meeting a success. He was particularly grateful to the leaders of upper castes for their interest in a meeting arranged for the weaker sections.

Clarifying on the intra-party squabbles, Mr. Shivshankar said there are no groups within the party. They considered Congress as one entity. He offered his apologies to newsmen when they protested that they were called for `creating' groups.

On his own example, when he did not attend the meeting of the party in-charge of AP, Vayalar Ravi, before the Warangal rally, Mr. Shivshankar said he was away at Delhi to give a lecture to the newly elected Rajya Sabha members at the invitation of the Bureau of Parliamentary Studies. When asked whether his stand that a person from the weaker sections be made the Chief Minister by the Congress was not aimed at the Congress Legislature Party leader, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Mr. Mysoora Reddy said it was not intended against `anyone'. Mr. Shivshankar, however, did not contribute to the view that a person from the weaker sections become the Chief Minister. He has to be someone elected by the legislature party and above all favoured by the high command, he said. Mrs. Sarojini Pulla Reddy said the turnout at the Warangal meeting was beyond their imagination. The meeting had given a new meaning to weaker sections.