Niranjan expresses incredulity at Jagan's support to Hazare

Not surprisingly, the verbal barbs between the ruling Congress and the Jagan camp are becoming increasingly sharp each day as the voting day approaches for the by-elections to the Kadapa Lok Sabha and Pulivendula Assembly constituencies.

On Saturday, it was the turn of Pradesh Congress Committee general-secretary G Niranjan to launch a fresh salvo against former Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy, while defending the attacks by the Jagan group on the party High Command.

Lashing out against Mr Jaganmohan Reddy’s proclaimed support to the fight against corruption launched by social activist Anna Hazare, Mr Niranjan wondered before media persons at Gandhi Bhavan how can a ‘King of Corruption’ support an anti-graft crusade.  

Mr Niranjan also wondered if Mr Jaganmohan Reddy was mouthing words of support to the fight against corruption to mask his own misdeeds and emerge as a ‘clean’ leader.

Reacting to the former MP’s claims that he is facing the electorate since he is a man of his words and could have easily bagged a Union Cabinet berth if he so desired but preferred not to bow down to the Centre, Mr Niranjan stated that Mr Jaganmohan Reddy was correct in saying that he could have had a Cabinet berth.

He however added that while the Congress was keen on giving more power to the former MP with a Ministerial post so that he could serve the people better, he was more interested in making wild allegations against the Centre rather than in social service

Responding to Mr Jaganmohan Reddy’s statement that the Congress had once been the Congress (Indira), then turned into the Indian National Congress and was now the Congress (Italy), the PCC general secretary wondered why the former MP had chosen to join the party in the first place and get elected on the Congress ticket.