Democracy is facing grave danger under the present TRS regime, which is hell bent on wiping out Opposition by brazenly abetting political defections to stifle the Opposition voices against its tyrannical rule, alleged Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka.
The persons at the helm are resorting to unethical practices, including intimidating tactics, to coerce the Congress MLAs to defect to the ruling TRS, he charged, alleging that such as “unabashed abetting of political defections” not only amounted to gross violation of the provisions in the Constitution but also posed a serious threat to democracy. “If this virus (political defections) goes unchecked it may lead to anarchy and cause a major peril to the democratic set-up,” he said.
Mounting a virulent attack on the TRS dispensation for the bungling of Intermediate exam results, he alleged that more than 20 aggrieved students ended their lives in misery due to the “callousness of the government.”
Long tour
Mr. Vikramarka was speaking to the media in Bhadrachalam on Sunday morning before launching a five-day bus yatra christened “Prajaswamya Parirakshana (save democracy) yatra” in the erstwhile undivided Khammam district.
Before embarking on the bus yatra, he offered prayers at the historic Sri Sitaramachandra Swamy temple in Bhadrachalam.
The bus yatra will cover Pinapaka, Yellandu, Kothagudem and Palair Assembly constituencies represented by MLAs, who had won in the Assembly elections on Congress tickets in last December but later announced their decision separately to join the ruling TRS.
The yatra will also pass through the Sattupalli constituency presently represented by S. Venkata Veeraiah, who had emerged victorious in the recent Assembly polls on the TDP ticket with the support of the Congress and subsequently quit the TDP to join the TRS. Mr. Vikramarka addressed several roadside meetings in Burgampadu and Aswapuram mandals en route the bus yatra later in the day. Tight security arrangements have been made all along the yatra routes in Pinapaka constituency.
A host of Congress leaders, including former Zilla Parishad chairperson Chanda Lingaiah, accompanied him.
Mr. Vikramarka will resume his second day yatra after an overnight stay in Manuguru and tour Edulla Bayyaram and Karakagudem of Pinapaka constituency and also parts of Yellendu constituency on Monday.
Bhadrachalam MLA
Congress MLA from the ST-reserved Bhadrachalam constituency Podem Veeraiah took part in the Prajaswamya Parirakshana bus yatra along with Congress Legislature Party leader Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka in Manuguru town on Sunday night.
He could not attend a meeting held to mark the launch of the five-day “Save democracy” bus yatra earlier in the day in Bhadrachalam due to his preoccupation with the wedding ceremony of a close relative at Tupakulagudem in neighbouring Mulugu district, sources said.
Mr. Veeraiah along with Mr. Vikramarka addressed a roadside meeting in Manuguru town of Pinapaka constituency on Sunday night, sources added.
Congress cadres accorded a rousing reception to both the Congress MLAs on their arrival in the coal town.
Speakers at the roadside meeting condemned the “shifting of loyalties” by four MLAs of the erstwhile undivided Khammam district from the Congress to the ruling TRS in recent weeks.
