Date:23/02/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/02/23/stories/2008022350070100.htm

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TDP-State spat over Naidu’s visit to Medaram jatara

Special Correspondent

Power of faith: Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy offering jaggery worth his weight to the deities at Sammakka-Sarakka jatara at Medaram on Friday.

HYDERABAD: The helplessness expressed by Warangal police in providing helipad and security arrangements to Leader of the Opposition N. Chandrababu Naidu to enable him to attend Sammakka-Sarakka jatara on the last day of the festival kicked up a row on Friday.

At a press conference, TDP MLAs Erabelli Dayakar Rao and V. Narender Reddy alleged that the security was denied at the behest of the Chief Minister’s Office as the Government did not want Mr. Naidu to visit Medaram. “Non- availability of helipad was used as an excuse.”

Refuting the charge, Finance Minister K. Rosaiah said if Mr. Naidu was so keen on returning to power with the blessings of Sammakka-Sarakka, he should have visited the shrine a day after Dr. Reddy took over as the Chief Minister on May 14 and not on the same day as the Chief Minister was to attend the jatara. The main Opposition party was levelling unfounded allegations against the CMO, he said

When Mr. Dayakar Rao took it up with Home Minister K. Jana Reddy, the latter spoke to the Warangal Superintentendent of Police, Sowmya Mishra, who made it clear that security could not be provided to two VIPs at the same time.

But Mr. Dayakar Rao wondered when these facilities could be provided to the Chief Minister, there was no reason why the same could not be extended to the Leader of the Opposition. “We made it clear to the district administration that Mr. Naidu would proceed there before or after the Chief Minister’s visit. Yet, the Government failed to make arrangements.”

Mr. Rao said it was wrong to say that Mr. Naidu planned the visit on Friday itself and explained that he was to go there on Thursday but owing to non-availability of helicopter he had to postpone it to Friday, the last day of the jatara.

Even on Friday, Mr. Naidu was prepared to go there at 10 a.m and if it was cleared, it would not have clashed with the Chief Minister’s visit at 3 p.m. With no word from the administration, Mr. Naidu postponed the visit to Saturday.

The Chief Minister visited Medaram late in the afternoon by helicopter and offered jaggery to the presiding deities before returning here in the evening.