The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : TRS chief's remark will be examined, says YSR

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 13, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

TRS chief's remark will be examined, says YSR

By Our Staff Reporter

VISAKHAPATNAM, SEPT. 12. The relationship between the Congress and the Telangana Rashtra Samiti (TRS) reached a flashpoint today with the Chief Minister, Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, hinting at reviewing his party's alliance with the K. Chandrasekhara Rao-led party.

Asked to comment on the remarks made by Mr. Rao on the Congress president, Sonia Gandhi, and the assertion by the Pradesh Congress Committee president, D. Srinivas, to review the party's ties with the TRS, during his transit halt here at the INS Dega airport, the Chief Minister said: ``His (Mr. Rao's) outburst against Soniaji is unwarranted and uncalled for. We will examine his statement in detail and take a decision later.''

`People upset'

Dr. Reddy told reporters that the TRS leader's remarks had hurt not only Congressmen but also people at large. The party had taken serious exception to his comments, he said, and declined comment when his reaction was sought to Mr. Rao's explanation made yesterday that he did not attack Ms. Gandhi with an intention to hurt anyone.

On free power for single bulb use, he said that earlier they wanted to extend the benefit to 4-lakh poor people. Later, the Government took a decision to cover 13-lakh households by giving a subsidy of Rs. 10 to all poor families.

PJR sets `deadline'

Our Hyderabad Staff Reporter writes:

In a related development, the Congress MLA, P. Janardhan Reddy, set a two-day deadline for the TRS president to withdraw his words against Ms. Gandhi `unconditionally' and tender her an apology or face an agitation.

Without specifying the form of agitation, Mr. Reddy said, if need be, Mr. Rao would even be ``dragged into the streets'' in just the way he spoke of doing to Ms. Gandhi.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Reddy said Congress workers were pained at the language used against Ms. Gandhi and this was evident from his visit to some industrial units of which he was a trade union leader. They were charged up, he said.

Mr. Reddy said it was unfortunate that Mr. Rao spoke in those terms despite the Congress making `many sacrifices'' to accommodate the TRS. The Congress conceded 42 Assembly and six Lok Sabha seats to the ally to contest the last Assembly polls. Some of the sitting MLAs of Congress gave up their seats out of respect for Ms. Gandhi. But, what had the TRS done in return. Mr. Rao got his nephew, T. Harish Rao, inducted into the State Cabinet although he was not even an MLA.

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