Southern States
-
Andhra Pradesh
A.P. Congress activists come to blows
By Our Special Correspondent
HYDERABAD, DEC. 8. Congress-I activists nearly came to blows in the presence of the AICC secretary, Mr.Daljit Singh, and the APCC-I president, Mr.M.Satyanarayana Rao, at a meeting of PCC delegates at Prakasam Hall here on Saturday.
The unseemly incident occurred when the former CLP leader, Mr.P.Janardhan Reddy, was addressing the delegates, taking exception to certain observations made by the PCC president earlier in his opening remarks.
Suddenly the hall, filled with the delegates from allover the State, reverberated with slogans by the followers of Mr.Satyanarayana Rao and Mr.Janardhan Reddy, who moved towards the dais menacingly.
Mr.Reddy was objecting to an emotional outburst by Mr.Satyanarayana Rao against his detractors in the party, who were quoted in a newspaper report as conspiring to dislodge him.
The PCC-I president challenged his critics ``even for a physical show of strength.''
The former CLP leader said Mr.Rao should have refrained from challenging his critics for a ``physical fight.'' ``We have come here as delegates for the PCC meet. For a physical fight, we could have assembled elsewhere,'' said Mr.Reddy triggering off protests from followers of Mr.Rao.
A small group supporting Mr.Janardhan Reddy challenged Mr.Rao's supporters in the slogan-shouting bout and the rivals surged forward towards the dais. Heated exchanges ensued between Mr.Niranjan, party activist from the old city, and the city Congress president, Mr.Anjan Kumar Yadav.
At one stage, both groups nearly came to blows but another AICC-I secretary, Mr.V.Hanumantha Rao, present on the dais, separated the groups and prevailed upon them to calm down.
Mr.Daljit Singh, in his address, regretted the indiscipline in the party, and called for projecting a united image of the party to give a tough fight to the Telugu Desam Party.
Send this article to Friends by
E-Mail
Southern States
|
