The Hindu : Naidu loses cool, flays Sonia Gandhi

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Feb 06, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Naidu loses cool, flays Sonia Gandhi

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, FEB. 5. The TDP president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, today lost his cool over a question about the reported plans of his brother-in-law, Daggubati Venkateswara Rao, to join the Congress party, an issue that had led to some friction with journalists at his press conference in New Delhi yesterday.

Speaking to presspersons here today, Mr. Naidu said he did not understand how senior journalists could ask him questions about Dr. Venkateswara Rao, elder son-in-law of the late NTR, when he had left the TDP nine years ago.

Mr. Naidu's contention was that he had all along refrained from promoting his relatives in politics and preventing them from interfering in matters of governance. Instead of encouraging him in sticking to this principle, the media was questioning his motives. "It is playing a dubious role," he said.

The TDP supremo said he was not like the AICC president, Sonia Gandhi, who was bringing her children into politics. "You should give more coverage to good values," he added.

Continuing his regular dose of Sonia-bashing, he said the Congress was "a party of confusion'' (on the issue of economic reforms) mainly because its leader lacked clarity. The problem with the Congress was its leader whose calibre was low and yet the party wanted to project her as the prospective Prime Minister.

Asserting that the country and even the State were passing through an unprecedented "feel good'' period in spite of drought and extremist violence, Mr. Naidu joined issue with the CPI (M) saying its leaders were opposing reforms though the West Bengal Chief Minister was implementing them in full earnest. He held that the World Bank conditions for Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal were similar.

Asked whether the Congress leader, M. V. Mysoora Reddy, was likely to join the TDP, Mr. Naidu quipped, "I have no such information. The media creates such beautiful pictures. I don't know what the facts are, but you are capable of giving flesh and blood to an idea.'' Without committing himself on the issue, he said the TDP would welcome good persons on the basis of their performance but it would never tempt anyone to join it.

He declared he would call for an explanation from the Handlooms Minister, Padala Bhoomanna, for his reported statement that rigging of feedback sought by the leadership exposed corruption in the organisation. He said it was not proper for the Minister to have aired his views publicly and he ought to have drawn his attention to his grievances. "I will take the matter seriously," he said.

Mr. Naidu said he had not constituted any sub-committee of the Cabinet to look into corruption as reported in a section of the media. The sub-committee's mandate was to study three draft bills relating to issues like accountability.

Earlier, at a meeting, he constituted 14 party committees with the Finance Minister, Y. Ramakrishnudu, as convenor of the reception committee, for overseeing arrangements the TDP's rally, "Vijayabheri'' proposed to be held here on February 22. He disclosed that he would participate in the TDP's cycle rallies in at least 14 districts from February 9 to 14.

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