Babu to lead padayatra to support Hazare on Saturday

Extending solidarity to indefinite fast-unto-death taken up by social activist Anna Hazare, Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu on Friday stated that his party would take out a padayatra from Gandhi Statue in Secunderabad to Ambedkar statue on Tank Bund on Saturday.

Talking to media persons at NTR Trust Bhavan, Mr Naidu stated that the padayatra would be totally apolitical one and would be part of the fight against corruption.

He called upon party leaders and the general public to participate in the padayatra and make it a grand success.

The former chief minister said that his party would intensify its protests and dharnas in support of Anna Hazare from village to district level. He criticized Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for remaining a mute spectator when the scams and corruption allegations came to light under his eyes.

He also lashed out at the Prime Minister for describing Anna Hazare’s fast-unto-death, which entered its fourth day on Friday as ‘hasty and unwarranted.’

Responding to the ensuing by-elections, Mr Naidu hoped that people of the district would elect candidates who are untainted by corruption.

The former chief minister pointed out that the elections were necessitated as former Kadapa MP Jaganmohan Reddy had resigned from his seat and the Congress party as it had not made him Chief Minister.

Reacting to questions on leadership tussle in the party from his own family members, Mr Naidu rubbished the media reports and termed them baseless. He said that there is no dissension in the TDP over party leadership.