A defiant Y S Jaganmohan Reddy left for Srikakulam on Wednesday evening to resume his 'Odarpu yatra' from Thursday even as Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah asked his Cabinet colleagues and party legislators to stay away from the Kadapa MP's campaign.
Jagan boarded the Falaknuma Express at 4 pm at the Secunderabad railway station as scores of his cheering followers saw him off.
None of the Congress MLAs, considered close to the rebellious MP, came to the railway station to see Jagan off following his "instructions".
Earlier, Rosaiah made it clear that his Cabinet colleagues and party legislators should not join the tour as the Congress high command has not given a nod to it.
"Whether or not to take part in the yatra is an individual choice but if any minister, MLA or MLC indeed takes part in the yatra, it will be a clear violation of the high command," Rosaiah told reporters here.
He said some of his Cabinet colleagues, MLAs and MLCs had approached him seeking his counsel on their participation in the yatra.
"I told them clearly that they should not participate in the yatra as it did not have the Congress high command's approval...If anyone violates this and takes part in the yatra, the party will deal with them appropriately."
However, D Sudheer Reddy, B Raji Reddy and K Srisailam Goud, all legislators from Hyderabad, and a few others from Jagan's native Kadapa district, met him at his residence here.
Talking to reporters, they said Jagan's yatra would not amount to defying the high command as it was his personal tour to console the families of those who died following the death of his father Y S Rajasekhara Reddy last year.
The high command did not ask Jagan to abandon his plan to resume the tour, which was stopped following violent protests by pro-Telangana activists in May, they claimed.
Congress leader A Rambabu, considered close to Jagan, said the Kadapa MP would go ahead with his yatra as announced.
Jagan would reach Ichapuram in Srikakulam district tomorrow to restart his journey. Notwithstanding party chief Sonia Gandhi's reservations, Jagan had on Monday announced his decision to resume his controversial yatra from July 8.
However, Congress yesterday asked the young MP not to go ahead with his plan and threatened him with disciplinary action if he disobeyed.
"All true committed and loyal Congressmen must observe both the party dharma and Laxman rekha of propriety and party discipline," spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi had said.
Meanwhile Congress on Wednesday appeared to have piped down on the controversial yatra with the party saying it was not worried and Andhra Pradesh CM backtracking on his tough statement asking ministers and legislators to keep away from the campaign.
Congress, which yesterday threatened disciplinary action if Jagan defied the high command, today said it was not worried by the issue related to "one MP" who could be indulging in "childish behaviour". "There are far greater issues to deal with, like the Jammu and Kashmir situation and the economy. This is not an issue on which we are worried about," party spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan told reporters in Delhi.
"This is an issue of one MP," she said, adding AICC in-charge of Andhra Pradesh M Veerappa Moily will look into the issue at the state level when he returns from abroad. Asked whether Jagan had defied the Congress directive by undertaking the yatra, Natarajan said, "I am sure the MP knows what the party line is".
In the evening, Rosaiah rushed to Delhi and met Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and later appeared to have a rethink on the issue.
"The high command never said no to the 'Odarpu yatra'. It felt that the yatra should not be like a victory march or a war-like yatra," a statement, titled 'Congress high command's thinking on 'Odarpu yatra', released in Delhi by Rosaiah said.
Jagan boarded the Falaknuma Express at 4 pm at the Secunderabad railway station as scores of his cheering followers saw him off. None of the Congress MLAs, considered close to the rebellious MP, came to the railway station to see Jagan off. However, D Sudheer Reddy, B Raji Reddy and K Srisailam Goud, all legislators from Hyderabad, and a few others from Jagan's native Kadapa district, met him at his residence in Hyderabad.
Talking to reporters, they said Jagan's yatra would not amount to defying the high command as it was his personal tour to console the families of those who died following the death of his father last year.
The high command did not ask Jagan to abandon his plan to resume the tour, which was stopped following violent protests by pro-Telangana activists in May, they claimed.
Jagan would reach Ichapuram in Srikakulam district on Thursday to restart his journey. PTI
