Rift widens in State Congress

Hyderabad, Sept 30 :

 The friction  in the ruling Congress party of  Andhra Pradesh is  increasing  day by  day. The  loyalists of the late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy on Wednesday hit back at  a senior party leader  and Rajya Sabha member V Hanumanth Rao’s  statement  for terming as 'bogus' the subsequent reported deaths of 600 people.

A section of MLAs  and ministers  came out  openly  challenging  Hanumanth Rao  popularly known as  VH  to  establish his   statement. They  further  added  that  the statements made  by Keshav Rao and former  Union Minister Renuka Chowdary were  hurting the sentiments of the people.

Health Minister D. Nagender, one of the YSR’s loyalists alleged  that  Hanumanth Rao's comments were uncalled  for. He  is only  trying to   provoke Jagan's supporters and tarnish  the  image  of  Jagan.

The  statements   VH made  are  baseless , sitting in Delhi  he  just  cannot  speak like  that.  If  he  goes inot the public  and  make such  statements  then people  will teach  him  a lesson,  said Konda  Surekha  minister for Woman and child  welfare.

What  VH is uttering  is  non sense, he definitely needs  to   visit a  psychiatrist.  He  further  humiliated  the   senior  leaders opposing  Jagan  by saying  that  these  leaders cannot  even  an election on their own  and how could  they make  such statements,  Ms Padmavati a member of the legislative council said.

The war of words  became  bitter  when some  senior leader of  Congress opposing  Jagan   and  party leaders  in Jagan's camp came into the open during a television debate on Tuesday night.

Minister  for  Agriculture Raghuveera Reddy reacting  to   VH’s  statement said ``not  just the Congress leaders in Jagan camp , but also leaders from other parties and a majority of the eight crore people in  the state are  in favour of    Jagan as the next chief minister.’’