Jagan came under heavy fire from Congress for his anti-Rahul remarks from Jantar Mantar. Though entered late into the fray, Jagan, with his big presence in the Assembly and outside, wants to grab attention in Andhra Pradesh. In fact, Jagan gave the call for New Delhi dharna only after Rahul Gandhi questioned from Anantapur district and announced that he would come to any place in Andhra Pradesh and anytime to fight to get special category status to Andhra Pradesh.
The self-immolation of its worker Munikoti in Tirupati on Saturday, chanting, Jai Congress and Jai Sonia, has given Congress new lease of life. Now, Jagan wants to hijack the issue from Congress. He mobilized two train-loads of people to New Delhi’s Jantar Mantar for a dharna and a march to parliament. Congress sees Jagan’s visit to Munikoti’s house on Tuesday is also a part of the larger strategy.
Andhra Pradesh Congress president N Rahuvira Reddy accused Jagan of trying to sabotage the movement. He said attacking Rahul, who was genuinely fighting for special status, was tantamount to sabotaging the movement and split it.
He said Jagan had courage to criticize PM Modi, who was primarily responsible for denying the special status.
“In stead of joining our movement, you are criticizing Rahul. What would be the motive other than creating a split and earn kudos from Prime Minister Modi,” Raghuvira asked. By talking too much, Jagan was exposing his immaturity of politics, the PCC president said.
He reiterated the party stand that Congress would file cases against Prime Minister Modi, urban development minister Venkaiah Naidu and chief minister Chandrababu Naidu for openly betraying the people of the state in all 1200 police station across Andhra Pradesh.
In Delhi, Rajya Sabha member J D Seelam also launched a scathing attack on Jagan.
“For fifteen months you have never raised the issue. It is the Congress which has been consistently demanding special status. You took up the matter and gave a call for Dharna only after Rahul Gandhi declared his support and launched a campaign for achieving Special Status, ” former union minister and Congress Rajya Sabha member JD Seelam said.
Pointing to Jagan’s remarks against Rahul, he said, the remarks were meant to earn some brownie points from Prime Minister Modi.
“Everybody knows you have moved closer to Modi to save your skin from the court cases. You want to reassure Modi that your don’t have soft corner for the AICC vice-president,” he alleged.
Seelam reminded Jagan that it was Rahul who coined the slogan, ” Special status -Andhra’s right” which had become a mantra on tongues of every Telugu person.
