The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Naidu accused of encouraging factionalism

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Feb 24, 2005

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Naidu accused of encouraging factionalism

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, FEB. 23. The Government Chief Whip, N. Kiran Kumar Reddy, on Wednesday accused the Telugu Desam Party president, N. Chandrababu Naidu, of encouraging factionalism in Anantapur district.

Participating in a debate on the murder of the Penukonda MLA, Paritala Ravi, in the Assembly, Mr. Reddy launched a scathing attack on the TDP chief for his alleged "double standards."

Mr. Reddy extensively quoted from the Assembly records and the speeches made by Mr. Naidu and his colleagues to drive home the point that the TDP had encouraged factionalism.

He said if seven persons were killed every month during the Congress regime till 1994 it rose to 17 per month in the TDP rule.

More than 155 Congress cadres were killed and 100 more were listed as missing during the last nine-year rule. Reeling out statistics, Mr. Reddy asked why the TDP had failed to raise the MLA's murder for the last eight days if it had love for the slain member.

TDP charges denied

Denying the TDP charge that the Chief Minister, Y. S. Rajasekahara Reddy's son or the Panchayat Raj Minister, J. C. Diwakar Reddy, were involved, he said the Government had ordered a CBI probe and an enquiry by a retired High Court judge into the murder.

He recalled that the TDP Government had unsuccessfully tried to implicate the Chief Minister's son in the suitcase bomb case.

He questioned the need to withdraw cases against Ravi and other leaders like Kodela Sivaprasad and P. Ramasubba Reddy, when courts should have done the job.

He said the slain MLA himself was an accused in six murder cases and allegedly linked to extremist outfits.

He referred to a report prepared by the former Congress Minister, M. V. Mysoora Reddy, on Ravi and his alleged activities.

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