With 28 legislators standing by his side, rebellious Andhra Pradesh Congress MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy has sent out a veiled message to the party leadership suggesting his patience might be wearing thin about the "injustice" done to his "ardent supporters".
"A lot of injustice is being done to my ardent supporters like Konda Surekha (former minister who quit in protest against not making Jaganmohan chief minister) and Ambati Rambabu (former MLA who was suspended from party). I am unable to tolerate this. I don't know how long I will continue to be restrained like this," Jagan told a public meeting in Kakinada town.
He said, "My heart is heavy today with pain. The reason is we have Konda Surekha and Ambati Rambabu in our presence. Injustice has been done to both of them because they showed so much love towards the son of late Y S Rajasekhara Reddy. I feel pain for not being able to help them. I don't know how long this patience will be there in the face of the pain," he said.
The public meeting marked the culmination of the second leg of Jagan's controversial "Odarpu Yatra" that had begun on July 8 in Srikakulam district and continued in East Godavari district on Thursday.
Trying to strike a chord with the huge gathering, the son of late Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy refrained from launching a direct attack on the party leadership in general and Chief Minister K Rosaiah in particular whom he had targeted occasionally during the course of his tour.
"How nice it would have been had the state government paid Rs 2-3 lakh to each family whose kin died either of shock or committed suicide following the tragic death of our great leader Y S Rajasekhara Reddy? Were those people not Congress voters? Why were these bereaved families not consoled by any Congress leader after the tragedy," Jagan asked.
The Kadapah MP said he had announced his intention to undertake the Yatra on September 25 last to console the bereaved families.
"At that point of time, there was no politics or any sort of conspiracy. But later it was made a big issue," Jagan said.
Over 25 MLAs, including a minister, joined Jagan on the last day of his yatra in East Godavari district on Thursday.
Surekha resigned as minister last year while Ambati Rambabu was suspended from Congress for his critical remarks against Rosaiah. Both are staunch supporters of Jagan and favoured his appointment as chief minister.
Jagan said he launched his yatra despite the reservations against it as he made a commitment to console those who died following the death of his father.
Invoking the name of his father, he wondered whether any leader had thought of introducing so many welfare schemes like fees reimbursement to poor students, free medical treatment to poor.
Jagan also hit out at the opponents of his father alleging they are trying to tarnish his image.
"Since he is no more, they are talking ill about him. They claim that he did not do anything. Did anyone thought of introducing so many welfare schemes," he asked.
State Minister for Social Welfare Pilli Subhash Chandra Bose, former ministers Jakkampudi Ramamohan Rao, Konatala Ramakrishna, MLAs D Chandrasekhar Reddy, Konda Surekha, MLCs Pulla Padmavathi, Konda Murali, TTD former chairman B Karunakar Reddy, Ambati Rambabu and several others were present on the dais.
