What`s wrong with Odarpu yatra, wonders Jagan

Srikakulam: Congress MP Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy, who has been critical of the party leadership over his yatra, today wondered what is wrong in consoling the families of those who died following the death of his father.

On the last day of his four-day tour in Srikakulam district, he asked what is wrong with starting a yatra to console those who died for his father.

Thanking people for their love and affection towards him, Jagan asserted that he was able to stand before them only because of their love.

He started his day from Rajam in the district and consoled the family of D Narasimha Rao, who reportedly died of shock over the death of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, at Mushidivalasa village.
Criss-crossing the villages, he reached Nandiwada and Eccherla by evening. He unveiled the statues of YSR on the way.

Following the successful four-day tour in Srikakulam district, Jagan will start his tour in East Godavari district tomorrow and has reasons to cheer as MLAs from the district have openly announced their decision to take part in the yatra.

Despite reservations of the Congress high command on the yatra, two MLAs from East Godavari district today said they will participate in the yatra.

D Chandrasekhar Reddy, Congress MLA from Kakinada and a close confidante of Jagan, said legislators in the district have conveyed their readiness to participate in the yatra.

"All MLAs in the district are ready to take part. The yatra will start from Tuni. It will be successful," he said.
He alleged that "two elders" were pressurising the MLAs not to participate in Jagan`s yatra. However, he refused to name them.

R Varaprasad, Congress MLA from Razole, said he would participate in Jagan`s yatra and that he is not afraid of any disciplinary action.

"I am MLA today because of Rajasekhara Reddy. I feel it is time to repay the debt I owed to him. I will accept happily if any action is taken against me. But, I don`t think I am doing anything wrong," he said.

Macherla MLA P Ramakrishna Reddy and Koduru MLA K Srinivasulu reportedly visited Jagan during the tour yesterday. Rayachoti MLA G Srikanth Reddy and Dharmavaram MLA Venkata Ramana Reddy were following the MP, overseeing the tour arrangements.

Meanwhile, Jagan`s remarks that MLAs are being prevented from joining his yatra have attracted sharp criticism from several senior party leaders today.

"Jagan Mohan Reddy has clearly stated in his open letter that the `Odarpu yatra` is a personal and non-political tour. Then what is the need for MLAs, MLCs or any political leaders to join the yatra? Why this debate at all"," N Tulasi Reddy, state Congress spokesperson, asked.

"We are not ready to accept if he says that politics in the state or the government have gone to the nadir after the death of Y S Rajasekhara Reddy," P Venkata Rao, MLC and another spokesperson, said.

Health Minister D Nagender said it was not correct to say that Congress leadership has stopped the legislators from taking part in Jagan`s yatra.

Senior leader and Rajya Sabha member V Hanumantha Rao said party will have to take disciplinary action against any leader, howsoever big he may be.

Jagan re-started his yatra from Srikakulam district on July 8 ignoring the reservations of the party high command.

He held the first leg of yatra in West Godavari and Khammam districts in April. Defying party directive, he left by train in May to start the second leg of yatra in Warangal district but the attempt met with violent protests from Telangana supporters.

Subsequently, he met party president Sonia Gandhi along with his family members to secure permission for the yatra.

With the high command not giving permission, he had stated that Sonia Gandhi did not appear to be positively inclined about his yatra and announced his plan to re-commence the tour in Srikakulam district in coastal Andhra from July 8.

The high command initially said he should follow party discipline but later relented saying that it never objected to the yatra.

PTI

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