Protests mar Rahul Gandhi’s visit to state

Vijayawada/Guntur: AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi was greeted by protests, black flags and ‘Rahul Go Back’ slogans by TDP activist in Vijayawada and Guntur as he arrived in Andhra Pradesh on Sunday to address a public meeting on Special Category Status.

TDP activists contend that the AICC leader has no moral right to demand Special Category Status as it is the Congress which caused severe loss to AP by dividing
the state in an unscientific manner

TDP leaders and activists raised slogans ‘Rahul Go back’ in protest against the visit of the AICC Vice-president Rahul Gandhi at Kesarapalli on the outskirts of Vijayawada when the Congress leaders were moving from Gannavaram Airport to Vijayawada on Sunday afternoon.

The TDP strongly opposed the visit of Rahul Gandhi to the State alleging that the Congress party had hurt the sentiments of people of the State. TDP workers under the leadership of MLC Buddha Venkanna staged a protest along the National Highway at Kesarapalli when Rahul Gandhi’s convoy was moving towards Vijayawada city from Gannavaram Airport.

The TDP functionaries held placards with slogans ‘Rahul Gandhi cheater’, ‘Rahul go back’ and displayed black flags.
Tight security was deployed along the National Highway in view of the TDP protests. The AICC vice-president along the Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and AICC leader Digvijaya Singh came to Vijayawada in the afternoon by flight and spent two hours at a hotel near Ramavarappadu Ring junction. Tight security arrangements were made at the hotel and also along the highway from Gannavaram to Vijayawada.

The TDP workers raised slogans ‘Rahul Go Back’, ‘Go Back’. But, the alert police kept a tight vigil to prevent any untoward incident. The TDP functionaries tore away flexis of Congress leaders along the highway between Gudavalli and Gannavaram and expressed their ire on the Congress party.

Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu gave a call to the party workers to stage protests against the visit of Rahul Gandhi to the State. Congress party is conducting 'Pratyekahoda Bharosa Sabha' in Guntur to rebuild the party in the State.On the other hand, the Congress functionaries were busy with arrangements for the meeting in Guntur and overjoyed to see their leader in Vijayawada. More than 300 Congress supporters gathered near the hotel and raised slogans Rahul Gandhi Zindabad, Akhilesh Yadav Zindabad.

Leaders under the aegis of Navyandhra JAC staged a protest against AICC Vice-President Rahul Gandhi’s visit to Guntur city at Potti Sriramulu statue near GMC guesthouse on Sunday. They demanded that Rahul should go back as he has no right to visit the state since it was the Congress party which hurt the sentiments of the people of the Andhra Pradesh by dividing it in an unscientific manner.

Addressing the protesters, Guntur Mirchi Yard chairman Mannava Subba Rao alleged that the Congress party had bifurcated the state merely for political gains and inflicted severe injustice on the people of the state in the process. He said despite lot of hurdles and severe financial crisis Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu was striving to develop the state and acquired the land for construction of capital city besides building temporary secretariat.

Referring to Special Category Status (SCS) to AP, Subba Rao said the Congress party was really committed to the SCS, he should have included the provision in AP Reorganisation Act itself passed by Parliament. Though SCS was not part of Reorganisation Act, the Chief Minister had mounted pressure on the Centre and achieved special package and also succeeded in getting legal sanctity to it, he said.

TDP state leader Chandu Sambasiva Rao accused the Congress party of backstabbing the people of AP by dividing it against the interests of the people. “That is why the party people of the state have taught a fitting lesson to the party in the elections,” he said.

Addressing the gathering, TNSF president K Chaitanya said Rahul Gandhi was addressing 'Pratyeka Hoda Bharosa Sabha' only for political mileage. Saying that the Congress has no moral right to demand SCS, he said special economic package accorded by the Centre to the state was better than SCS.

Another TDP leader Lal Vazeer while blaming the Congress for the loss caused to the state in the bifurcation, said there was no need to dwell on SCS now. TDP leaders Potturi Venkat, former corporator Rajesh, M Prabhakar were among those participated. Meanwhile, students under the banner of TNSF burnt the effigy of the AICC vice president at Gujjanagundla Centre opposing his visit to Guntur.