The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : PW not keen on inviting Jana to Guthikonda meeting

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Oct 09, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

PW not keen on inviting Jana to Guthikonda meeting

By Our Staff Reporter

GUNTUR, OCT. 8. The People's War has welcomed the Home Minister, Jana Reddy's offer to attend the first major meeting of the party at Guthikonda Bilam on October 11, which will be attended by top naxalite leaders, but categorically denied any plan to extend an invitation to him at this stage.

At a press conference at the meeting's venue on Friday, People's War leader Ganganna alias Narasimha Reddy spoke of arrangements for the unveiling of the martyrs' memorial and said it was not the right time to invite the Home Minister to the meeting, as party leaders would be speaking against the Government. It would be difficult to make him sit through a meeting where he might be criticised, he said.

"If the Home Minister desires to attend some other meeting later and makes a request, the party will consider it," he said. The People's War and the Congress were two different political parties; they could carry out their campaigns and it was for the people to decide who they wanted to go with, he said.

Programme details

Ganganna said a rally would begin from Guthikonda and reach the Bilam, 4.5 km away, on foot, where the 52-foot memorial had been constructed with a 6-foot sickle and hammer fixed above it. The party was making arrangements to receive 2 lakh people from across the State, though majority of them would come from Palnadu and parts of Telangana, he said.

Among prominent People's War and CPI-ML Janashakti leaders to attend the meeting were Akkiraju Harigopal alias Ramakrishna alias RK (State committee Secretary), Ganesh (Telangana Special Zone), Sudhakar (Andhra Orissa Border Special Zone secretary), Gaddar, Varavara Rao and Kalyana Rao, Ganganna said, adding that he would preside.

Old people who had participated in the armed struggle in Telangana would be invited and honoured at Guthikonda Bilam.

A book also would be released on the occasion to highlight their `sacrifice' and an appeal made to imbibe their ideals, he said. Food packets would be sold at a nominal rate so that there was no wastage, he added.

Police warning

The Superintendent of Police, Jitender, in a release here on Friday cautioned people against forcible booking of vehicles and extortion for the People's War meeting at Guthikonda Bilam.

He said the police had received several complaints of forcible collection of money and arranging of vehicles by threatening lorry and jeep owners. Such acts would be dealt with seriously, he said.

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