Nagam not to campaign, to work for T

Telangana Telugu Desam Party Forum convenor Nagam Janardhan Reddy on Thursday stated that he would not campaign for the party in the by-elections being held for Kadapa Lok Sabha and Pulivendula Assembly constituencies.

Talking to media persons at Telugu Desam Legislature Party office, the senior Telangana leader stated that he would be devoting his energies to energizing the agitation for a separate Telangana state instead of campaigning in the by-election.

Criticising the Telangana Rashtra Samithi president K Chandrasekhar Rao for performing ‘Chandi Yagam’ for achieving Telangana, Mr Janardhan Reddy said the separate state would not be achieved by performing yagas and yajnas (religious rituals).

“The Telangana state formation can be achieved only with concerted efforts of all party leaders and political will,” the TDP leader opined.

Mr Janardhan Reddy also charged the state government of issuing the controversial GO 177 to put water on the Telangana fire.

The GO 177, which was issued on Wednesday by Chief Secretary SV Prasad, says that the employees who had participated in the earlier non-cooperation agitation, will not be paid their salaries on the basis of the ‘no work, no pay’ principle.

With the issuing of the GO 177, the state government was making efforts to prevent Telangana employees from participating in the separate statehood agitation, Mr Janardhan Reddy said.

He said the government has to pay heavy cost for violating employees’ genuine rights and demanded that the controversial GO should be withdrawn immediately.