YSR will remain an asset of Congress party: Govt Whip

Government Whip in the Legislative Council Rudraraju Padma Raju on Saturday said that the Congress Party would soon distribute Rs one lakh ex-gratia to each of the families of those who committed suicide after learning about the death of former Chief Minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy in helicopter crash.

Talking to reporters in the assembly premises in connection with the third death anniversary of YSR to be observed on Sunday, Padma Raju said that the Congress Party would fulfill promise of giving Rs one lakh ex-gratia to all the families whose kin committed suicide after YSR's tragic death. He said that the list of victims was prepared when D Srinivas was heading the Pradesh Congress Committee and the same has been sent to the All India Congress Committee for approval. He said that the AICC would soon distribute the amount among the families of victims.

Padma Raju said that YSR was a Congressman till his last breath and he would always remain an asset for the party. He dismissed the YSR Congress Party's claim that Congress Party have lost rights over YSR after his death. He also claimed that the Congress Party has been implementing all the schemes initiated by YSR and would continue to do despite all hurdles.

Reacting to the reports of former minister U Purshottam Reddy's plans to join the YSR Congress Party, he appealed to the former minister not to quit the Congress. However, he said he believed that those reports were mere rumours.