The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Chief Minister flays Chiranjeevi, Naidu

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Friday, Nov 14, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Chief Minister flays Chiranjeevi, Naidu

Ravi Reddy

Says Praja Rajyam chief is a ‘novice’ and TDP president ‘all free Babu’

– Photo: T. Vijaya Kumar

Centre of attraction: Chief Minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy addressing road-side meeting at Dachepalli in Guntur district on Thursday.

SATTENAPALLI (GUNTUR DT): In his sharpest ever attack on Praja Rajyam president Chiranjeevi, Chief Minister Y. S. Rajasekhara Reddy questioned the ‘change’ that the megastar wanted to usher in for the people of Andhra Pradesh.

“The actor spent 30 years earning crores of rupees in the film industry but never bothered to serve his native village. He has not spent a single paisa on his village and is now talking about changing the fortunes of 8.50 crore people of the State,” Dr. Reddy said, while addressing a string of roadside meetings in Palanadu region of Guntur district on Thursday.

Dr. Reddy’s road show -- the second in the last one month after Srikakulam and a week after TDP’s Yuva Garjana in Guntur district -- evoked overwhelming response as people waited for hours to have a glimpse of the Chief Minister.

It began in Rentachintala and wound its way through Gurzala, Nadikudi, Dachepalli and Piduguralla towns before culminating in a well-attended public meeting in Sattenapalli.

As his cavalcade rolled out from Rentachintala, women lined alongside the roads and offered him ‘harathi’, besides showering flower petals.

Police had a tough time controlling the crowds that surged forward towards the Chief Minister’s bus.

Huge flex boards with the pictures of Dr. Reddy, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi greeted the people.

Notable feature

A notable feature was the prime place accorded to Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, son of Dr. Reddy, actor Mahesh Babu and Akkineni Nagarjuna. Youngsters attracted attention as they wore Dr. Reddy’s mask.

All through his speeches, Dr. Reddy targeted Chiranjeevi and TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu for criticism.

Branding Chiranjeevi a ‘novice’ in politics, he said: "Does his talk of change mean doing away with the good programmes being implemented by the government?" Directing his ire at the TDP chief and branding him "all free Babu”, the Chief Minister ridiculed him for the spate of promises.

“No party can match our developmental and welfare programmes,” he said mocking at the other political parties’ talk of sharing power.

Refers to sops

Dr. Reddy repeatedly referred to the sops announced to the farm sector and how the farmers had been bailed out.

He reiterated his government’s commitment to modernising the Nagarjunasagar canals.

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