Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad   

Cong. takes umbrage at Naidu's charge

By Our Special Correspondent

Hyderabad Nov. 15. The Congress has taken exception to the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, indirectly describing the Opposition as extremists by holding them responsible for naxalism in the State. The charge was "ridiculous, absurd and inflammatory", the party felt, while accusing the Chief Minister of "losing his cool.''

K. Rosaiah, chief spokesperson of the party, said the Government, which had been in power for eight years, would do better than blaming the Opposition for a 30-year-old problem. He said his party's contention had all along been that there was no worthwhile development under the TD rule and that the Government had failed to contain the law and order problem. This stand was vindicated by the implied admission of the Chief Minister to this effect.

Asking Mr.Naidu to clarify whether he meant to brand all those who voted for the Opposition as extremists or naxalites, he cautioned people against "brutal repression" if the TD was voted back to power. There was no reason why a party should take such a stand unless it wanted to unleash a "reign of repression" in case of victory, he said.

Questioning the claim of Mr. Naidu that the Opposition was playing a negative role and hindering development in the State, Mr.Rosaiah sought justification for the stand. The TD should list the programmes that the Congress had scuttled.

The problems in the power sector were more due to the reforms process of the World Bank-guided policies but not due to the Opposition, he said. Also, the rise in the number of the unemployed, the bad shape of the rural economy, plight of farmers and ever-growing number of suicide among farmers and weavers could not be blamed on the Opposition. The "retarded progress" was a direct fallout of the anti-people policies of the TD Government, he said.

He asked whether it was appropriate for the Chief Minister to announce `boons' to the people without giving any thought to the modalities. The party would target Mr.Naidu's autocratic ways and his method of bulldozing the majority opinion in its campaign apart from listing its failures, he said.

He urged Mr.Naidu to exercise restraint in his functioning henceforth as he was heading a caretaker Government.

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