TDP president N. Chandrababu Naidu spoke everything about development of the State without uttering a word on Samaikyandhra or giving a clear stand on unified Andhra Pradesh.
During his ‘Atma Gaurava Yatra’ in the city, the first in Krishna district, on Friday, he beat around the bush saying all Telugu -speaking people were like one family, but did not specify the steps he had taken to keep the State united.
Delivering a speech at a public meeting in the Kaleswara Rao Market, he lashed out at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, YSR Congress president Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy, and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
He termed TRS president K. Chandrasekhar Rao as a “liar.” He blamed the Congress for the state of affairs in Andhra Pradesh.
Mr. Naidu, however, did not stop for the scheduled programme of garlanding the statue of Potti Sreeramulu near Prakasam Barrage, though hundreds of his admirers, mediapersons, and party activists waited in anticipation for long.
In his 45-minute address, he showered praise on party founder N.T. Rama Rao and pointed out that there was none to match NTR when it came to leadership.
“It was NTR who brought recognition and identity to the Telugu people, who were earlier referred to as ‘Madrasi’ by people in the north. Even the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi was afraid of him,” Mr. Naidu said.
Referring to the recent Uttarakhand floods, he said, “Whenever and wherever Telugu people were in trouble, the TDP came to their rescue.”
Reiterating the schemes and policies he had spelt out during his ‘Vastunna meekosam’ padayatra, he once again tried to woo the trading community by saying that he would withdraw VAT if voted to power.
The Congress had a tacit understanding with the YSR Congress in the Seemandhra region and TRS in the Telangana region, Mr. Naidu alleged.
“The nexus is only to make Mr. Rahul Gandhi Prime Minister after the 2014 elections,” he said.
Party district president Devineni Umamaheshwara Rao was among others present.
