Date:27/11/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/11/27/stories/2003112703190300.htm

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

`Chaduvula Panduga turned into TDP affair'

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD Nov. 25. The Congress has claimed that the launch of the `Chaduvula Panduga' programme of the State Government by Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, at Nizampet village in Medak district on Monday turned out to be a TDP affair.

The crowds were mobilised as if for a TDP meeting and the speech of Mr. Naidu was also political. The Chief Minister overlooked his caretaker status while discharging his duties, the APCC spokesman, G. Muddukrishnama, told reporters here on Tuesday. He appealed to the EC to examine the functioning of the administration.

K. Narayana, Assistant Secretary of the State Council of the CPI, in a statement charged the State Government with converting the "Chaduvula Panduga" launch function into a "Telugu Desam Panduga" and forcing the children to hold TDP banners with slogans written on them.

As if this was not enough, the Chief Minister, and other Ministers misused the occasion to make long political speeches. Even the inauguration of the Gandhi Hospital in city was turned into a big election meeting, with yellow and saffron banners and cutouts put up all the way.