A war of words broke out between Andhra Pradesh’s ruling YSR Congress Party and opposition BJP, a day after the latter held a public meeting in Vijayawada to target the state government.
Government Advisor (Public Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy said on Wednesday that there is no significance in the meeting and alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is merely implementing the agenda of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N. Chandrababu Naidu.
Sajjala said the BJP has become the subsidiary party of TDP and BJP leader Somu Veerraju has been parroting the script prepared in NTR Trust Bhavan (the TDP headquarters).
He alleged that the leaders of Congress, BJP, CPI and Janasena have turned into puppets in the hands of Naidu and are targeting Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy by making false allegations. The YSRCP leader said it was a pity that BJP is to the tunes of Naidu despite being a national party.
At the BJP meeting titled “Praja Agraha Sabha” (meeting to express people’s anger) party leader and former union minister Prakash Javadekar urged the people to ‘put an end to the corrupt and destructive rule of Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government’ in 2024. He described the TDP and YSRCP as family-dominated parties, and alleged that both indulged in massive corruption.
Without naming the chief minister or YSRCP MP V. Vijayasai Reddy, Javadekar said many leaders in the state are on bail and may go to jail any time, and hence, the people of the state should think of an alternative.
Stating that people have seen the governments of both TDP and YSRCP, he appealed to them to give a chance to BJP.
Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy flayed BJP leaders for promising to provide cheap liquor at Rs 50 per bottle and complete Amaravati capital in three years if voted to power.
He recalled that BJP leaders have been demanding High Court in Kurnool and capital in Amaravati. He demanded that they reveal their stand on Visakhapatnam.
He said the BJP had demanded special category status while in opposition and but offered a mere special package after coming into power at the Centre. He slammed the saffron party for politicising special category status and privatisation of Vizag Steel Plant despite having the power to take decision on the issues.
Meanwhile, BJP MP G.V.L. Narasimha Rao claimed that the success of the Vijayawada meeting shows which way the wind is blowing the state. He said it was evident from the words of Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy that YSRCP is afraid of BJP.
Narasimha Rao dismissed the allegation that BJP is talking the language of others. He said the YSRCP leaders knew that if BJP focuses on Andhra Pradesh, they will be nowhere and hence they were calling BJP a farce.
Earlier, state minister Perni Nani had remarked that BJP’s state unit has been given on lease to MPs Sujana Chowdary and C.M. Ramesh who defected to the saffron party from the TDP.
Reacting to this, BJP state president Somu Veerraju advised Nani to think twice before opening his mouth.
A war of words also ensued between YSRCP and BJP after YSRCP MP Vijayasai Reddy on Tuesday shared on social media a photograph with RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.
Revealing that he met Bhagwat on a train in Narsapuram, the Rajya Sabha member wrote that he had the wonderful opportunity of seeking his blessings and listening to his words of guidance.
The BJP leaders, however, said the YSRCP MP was playing mind games by using the photograph. He pointed out that not just YSRCP but parties like TDP and Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) were also supporting the BJP-led government at the Centre on several issues of national importance.
