The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Current situation in State akin to 1982: Naidu

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 19, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Current situation in State akin to 1982: Naidu

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, JAN. 18. The Telugu Desam Party President, N. Chandrababu Naidu on Tuesday compared the present situation in the State to that of 1982 when "self- respect of Telugus lay scattered in the streets of Delhi."

Several events

Speaking at a meeting organised to commemorate the ninth death anniversary of the party's founder president, N. T. Rama Rao, he said if it was the former Chief Minister, T. Anjaiah, who was insulted then, it was the former Prime Minister, P. V. Narasimha Rao, now. "It is the same story of Telugus being slighted."

Rallies, all-religion prayers, a photo exhibition, blood donation camps, distribution of fruits to patients at the Basavatharakam Cancer Hospital, marked the death anniversary. NTR's family members were among the first to pay homage at NTR Ghat. Mr. Naidu paid floral tributes.

He was followed by NTR's widow, Lakshmi Parvati. The Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy, ignored the event and sent in Mohd. Ali Shabbir, Information and Public Relations Minister, and Sudhir Reddy, Chairman of the Hyderabad Urban Development Authority.

Mr. Naidu said the birth of the TDP was a historical necessity. It evolved from a situation when the self-respect of Telugus was at the lowest ebb and selfish politicians were at the helm. "NTR launched the Telugu Desam to give a new meaning to politics, treating it as a means to serve the poor and the underprivileged.

Services recalled

The self-respect of Telugus became the theme with TDP leaders like K. Vijayarama Rao and Syed Yousuf Ali referring to it. The senior TDP leader, Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, emphasised on party cadre taking a pledge to safeguard the self-respect.

Others recalled Rama Rao's film career and services to the people and how he became popular with the Rs. 2-a kg rice scheme, administrative reforms like formation of mandals and providing a corruption-free Government.

They included T. Devender Goud, Yanamala Ramakrishnudu, Umareddy Venkateswarlu, B. V. Mohan Reddy, Alladi Rajkumar, Sripati Rajeshwar, R. Chandrasekhar Reddy,Vanga Geeta and N. Rajakumari.

According to the party spokesman, the cadre donated 238 bottles of blood at the camp held at NTR Trust Bhavan.

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