Date:01/12/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/12/01/stories/2003120104070400.htm

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Counter naxals courageously: CM

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD Nov. 30. The TDP president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, has asked party leaders not to be afraid of death and face the challenge from naxalites courageously.

Summing up the proceedings of the daylong workshop of the 160-member core group of the party to coordinate preparations for the elections, Mr. Naidu went philosophical on Sunday evening saying death was inevitable and it consumed Mahatma Gandhi, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi in a most cruel form, sources said.

Underscoring the risk factor in politics, Mr. Naidu was reported to have said that like in every profession, politics was also linked to risk. Therefore, "do not be scared of death.

Your family members may tell you ten times not to dabble in politics. But, the eleventh time they will come round and support you."

Mr. Naidu appealed to the leaders to dispel fears of grass root level workers about the threat from naxalism. He asked the workers to be mentally prepared to take on the naxalites.

Mr. Naidu told the workshop, which focussed on `Naxalism, opportunism of Congress and the divisive politics of Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS)', that only the TDP could continue to maintain an integrated State and urged party leaders to publicise this message. The dangerous trends of the Congress and the TRS should be checked and their policies opposed.

A message must go to the public that they were all united. The Opposition would try to play several tricks to assume power but they must all be defeated.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, the TDP general secretary, K. KalaVenkat Rao, said it was decided to expose the Opposition on all fronts during the electioneering.