DRUMMING UP THE SUPPORT: Telugu Desam's deputy leader T. Devender Goud beating a drum during his padayatra that entered Ramayampet in Medak district on Friday. - Photo: K. Ramesh Babu

RAMAYAMPET (Medak dt): Telugu Desam leaders, who have been on the `Godavari Jala Sadhana' walkathon for the last 20 days, on Friday asserted that their mission was for a cause -- getting Pranahita-Yellampalli- Chevella link project for Telangana and not for securing posts for themselves.

In a strong rebuff to Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy's criticism of their `padayatra', Telugu Desam deputy leader T. Devender Goud said while Dr. Reddy had the single-point agenda of securing Chief Minister's post for himself when he took up his `padayatra' in 2003, theirs was for seeking assured Godavari waters and justice to people of a backward region.

Addressing a public meeting organised here, he said it was uncharitable for Dr. Reddy to dub it as a `pleasure trip' when all they were doing was to highlight a people's problem as a responsible Opposition party. Does he mean Opposition has no democratic right to take out rallies and yatras? "After the Ministers, the Chief Minister seems to be getting scared of the response we had been getting for our yatra."

Good response

People of this tiny town on the Hyderabad- Nagpur National Highway went into raptures as they welcomed the leaders. Besides Mr. Goud, they included Kadiam Srihari, E. Peddi Reddy, S. Venugopala Chary, Eraballi Dayakar Rao, M. Narsimhulu, S. Venkateswara Rao, L. Ramana, S. Devaiah and D. Srisailam. Drum-beating youth danced while women applied `vermilion' on the forehead of the leaders and offered `harathi'. Enthusiastic party workers threw flowers.

The `yatris' looked emaciated and tired but they were not out. "We still have lot of energy and hope to complete the 400-km yatra without any problem," Mr. Goud said. But three of them ran into problems. Senior party leader K. Harishwar Reddy was admitted to Nizam's Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS) in Hyderabad after his glucose level caused concern. Though Mr. Venugopala Chary had blisters and Mr. Dayakar Rao sprained his foot, they pulled on.

KCR, Narendra flayed

Mr. Srihari targeted Telangana Rashtra Samithi leaders -- K. Chandrasekhara Rao and A. Narendra for bidding their time and not doing anything for Telangana.

Later, addressing a press conference, Mr. Goud rebutted the charge that the previous TDP Government neglected irrigation and Telangana. "We have taken up a number of projects in the region and brought lakhs of acres into cultivation. Let the Congress join in a debate on this score."

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