Jagan can claim to be heir but YSR is Congress property: Ponguleti

Even though his son and former Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy can claim his to be his political heir, former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy is the ‘property’ of the Congress party stated senior Congress leader and AICC secretary Ponguleti Sudhakar Reddy on Saturday.

Talking to media persons at the CLP on Assembly premises, Mr Sudhakar Reddy stated that Mr Jaganmohan Reddy has every right to try and benefit from the name of the former chief minister, but the fact remains that Dr YSR was a Congressman through his life and thus was the property of the Congress.

When asked if the Congress would still claim that Dr YSR was the party’s property after allegations of corruption against him have been surfacing, Mr Sudhakar Reddy said that there was nothing new about the allegations. He said that Dr YSR’s detractors had levelled allegations against him even during his lifetime, and were now emboldened since he is not here to defend himself.

Mr Sudhakar Reddy further Seemandhra leaders not to ridicule Congress MPs K Keshav Rao and Madhu Yaskhi Goud who were physically attacked by pro-Telangana activists during the Million March. He said that the MPs’ attackers were misled that the Congress was not taking the Telangana demand seriously and had acted in the heat of the moment.

The senior Congress leader also pointed out that the party High Command had said that it would take a decision on the separate statehood demand after elections to Assemblies of five states are conducted. He asked the people from Telangana to observe restraint till then.