Rousing reception awaits Sridhar Babu

He is coming to Karimnagar for the first time after tendering his resignation

Taking it out: District Congress leaders staging a novel protest by chasing persons wearing Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy masks in Karimnagar on Friday. Photo: T. Ajaypal Singh

The District Congress Committee leaders, who have launched several protests against Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy for stripping the Legislative Affairs portfolio from Minister for Civil Supplies D. Sridhar Babu since last 10 days, have decided to accord a rousing reception to Mr. Babu during his maiden visit to Karimnagar district on Sunday after tendering his resignation to the Minister’s post.

In order to win over the confidence of the Minister, the DCC leaders have been competing to accord a rousing reception to him on Sunday.

Accordingly, the district leaders have decided to welcome the Minister at the district borders at Shanigaram village with much pomp and gaiety. Later, the party leaders would take out a motorcycle rally from NTR statue on the outskirts to Telangana Chowk.

The Mahila Congress leaders plan to give

harathi all along the procession in Karimnagar town to the Minister. In the meantime, the party leaders are competing to erect huge posters, arches and banners welcoming Mr. Babu and projecting him as “Telangana Tiger”.

The party leaders said that the welcome programme is also aimed to boost the morale of the party rank and file with the elections round the corner.

Party sources said that Mr. Babu would address a massive public meeting at Telangana Chowk in Karimnagar on Sunday. Karimnagar MP Ponnam Prabhakar, Government Whip Arepalli Mohan, Husnabad legislator A Praveen Reddy, MLC T. Santosh Kumar, DCC president K. Ravinder Rao, and others are taking the lead to accord rousing reception to Mr. Babu.

Meanwhile, the District Congress leaders continued their tirade against the Chief Minister for stripping the Legislative Affairs portfolio from Mr. Babu by holding a protest of chasing the persons donning themselves as Chief Minister in Karimnagar on Friday evening.

The Congress leaders led by PCC secretary Y. Sunil Rao made four persons don the masks of Chief Minister with the slogans - “I am inefficient CM, am traitor of Telangana and Congress party and others” and chased them with broomsticks at Telangana Chowk, raising slogans of ‘Jai Telangana’ and against the Chief Minister.

Similarly, the Sridhar Babu Yuvasena activists set fire to effigy belonging to Chief Minister in Karimnagar on Friday. They demanded the sacking of the Chief Minister for acting against the party high command’s decision and obstructing the formation of Telangana State.