Botcha defends Azad's remarks on Jagan

AICC general secretary says he was misquoted by the media

The Congress party launched a damage control exercise on Tuesday following the remarks of AICC general secretary Ghulam Nabi Azad reported prominently in the media that Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy would have been appointed a Union Minister and later elevated as Chief Minister if he was in the Congress.

Mr. Azad himself denied making these comments and said local journalists might not have understood the speech because he spoke in Urdu. “I made the remarks to highlight how Congress encouraged leaders and elevated them to top position. I was misquoted,” he clarified at a press conference in Kadapa on Tuesday.

The AICC leader addressed a series of election meetings in Nellore, Chittoor and Kadapa districts when he launched an all out attack on the YSR Congress president saying that he was in jail for corrupt activities. Things would have been different for Jagan had he remained with the ruling Congress party and waited patiently for being given a position in the government.

Unwittingly, Mr. Azad had implied that Jagan was paying the price for parting ways with the Congress and floating his own party. At least, this is what the YSR Congress leaders said. "His remarks have exposed the true colours of the vindictive attitude of the ruling party." Quick to capitalise on the ruling party's dilemma, YSR Congress honorary president Y.S. Vijayamma repeatedly highlighted the issue in her election meetings, drawing instance response from the people.

On Tuesday, PCC chief Botcha Satyanarayana was at pains trying to defend the statement saying that Mr. Azad only said Congress leaders could aspire to become an MP, Union Minister and even the Chief Minister. At a press conference here, Mr. Satyanarayana charged the YSRCP leaders of distorting the statement to gain political mileage.

Congress leaders wondered about the need for the AICC leader to make such comments at the height of campaign when there was general perception among the voters that Jagan was being victimised. Mr. Azad, in the meantime, concluded his poll campaign by addressing a meeting in Yemmiganur and arrived in the city on Tuesday night before leaving for New Delhi.