The Hindu : Ex-Minister's remarks against Upendra flayed

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 22, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Vijayawada

Ex-Minister's remarks against Upendra flayed

By Our Special Correspondent

VIJAYAWADA, FEB. 21. The observations made by the former Minister, Paladugu Venkata Rao, denouncing the former Union Minister, P. Upendra, and his son-in-law, Lagadapati Rajagopal, have stirred up the proverbial hornet's nest in the Congress party in the district.

Mr. Venkata Rao said on Thursday at a press conference in Hyderabad that Mr. Upendra and Mr. Rajagopal were "outsiders'' and that the latter was "hand-in-glove'' with the Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu.

He also went to the extent of stating that the Congress, if voted to power, would order an inquiry into the power-purchase agreements (PPA) entered into by the AP Genco with the private power plants.

Expectedly, several senior Congress leaders in Krishna district, including the former Deputy Chief Minister, Koneru Ranga Rao, the former Minister, Vasantha Nageswara Rao, the former MLA from Jaggayyapet, S. Udaya Bhanu, the Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) Doctors' cell convener, G. Gangadhar, the former city Mayor, Jandhyala Shankar, the party leaders -- Ilapuram Venkaiah, Malladi Vishnu and others, in a statement issued here on Friday, strongly condemned the observations of Mr. Venkata Rao.

They said that it was "ridiculous'' on the part of Mr. Venkata Rao to say that Mr. Upendra was an outsider. In fact, Mr. Upendra contested from the Vijayawada Lok Sabha constituency thrice and he had been attending to people's problems as per the directions of the APCC and the All India Congress Committee (AICC) regularly.

They found fault with the former Minister for going to the press against the former Union Minister. They said that the AICC alone could take a final decision on the selection of candidates and going to the press was not the way in which senior leaders should offer advises to the party high command, they said.

They also urged Mr. Upendra and Mr. Rajagopal to maintain restraint without reacting to the statements of the former Minister.

The president of the city Youth Congress, B. Sankara Rao, the city Mahila Congress, M. Vijayalakshmi, the district NSUI and city NSUI presidents and other office-bearers of the front organisations of the Congress also criticised Mr. Venkata Rao for "deliberately launching a vilification campaign'' against Mr. Upendra and Mr. Rajagopal.

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