Even as the state Congress leaders joined hands to show solidarity against the adverse reports published and broadcast by the media house ‘Saakshi’ owned by Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy, the newspaper remained defiant and justified the stories by saying that it had always stood up to raise its voice against misadministration.
Slamming the ‘vilification’ campaign against All India Congress president Sonia Gandhi and AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi by a television news channel and newspaper owned by Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, the Congress members turned out in force to stage a protest against the news at the statue of former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy at Punjagutta Crossroads on Sunday.
Even as the protest at Punjagutta was going on, Congress MPs from Telangana met at MP Vivekananda’s residence and demanded that Mr Jaganmohan Reddy issue an apology to the Congress president and the party.
The Congress members, led by Health and Family Welfare Minister Danam Nagender, Information Technology Minister Komtireddy Venkata Reddy and Congress Mahila Wing president and MLC Ganga Bhavani all sought to compare the loyalty and dedication of the Kadapa MP’s father, while at the same time expressing shock about the stance taken by Mr Jaganmohan Reddy.
Addressing the gathering at the statue, Mr Nagender said that the former chief minister YSR, who wished to see AICC general secretary Rahul Gandhi in the Prime Minister’s post after the 2014 General Election, established the newspaper and channel to strengthen Congress party in the state by popularizing the schemes and programmes launched for the poor and middleclass.
He regretted that Mr Jaganmohan Reddy had turned around the tool to campaign for the party against it by carrying out hateful campaign against Congress leadership.
Mr Nagender also accused Mr Jaganmohan Reddy for carrying anti-stand against Chief Minister K Rosaiah by stating that the government had failed to implement YSR’s schemes and programmes. “There is no truth in the reports published in his newspaper. Chief Minister K Rosaiah is committed in letter and spirit to implement the scheme envisaged and launched by YSR. I don’t understand why Mr Jaganmohan Reddy is carrying out this malicious campaign against Congress leadership,” he stated.
Taking serious objection over the anti-party campaign, Information Technology Minister Komtireddy Venkata Reddy demanded Kadapa MP Y S Jaganmohan Reddy withdraw his remarks and publish an apology and rejoinder in the newspaper immediately.
He said that any leader of the Congress reserves the right to challenge any worker or leader who makes adverse remarks against party president Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Rahul Gandhi. Mr Venkata Reddy also warned Mr Jaganmohan Reddy of serious consequences if he doesn’t withdraw his remarks immediately and issue an apology.
The IT Minister cautioned the Kadapa MP and stated that a repetition of such remarks damaging the image of party can invite the wrath of the High Command and serious action could be initiated against him soon.
Congress Mahila Wing chief Ganga Bhavani advised Mr Jaganmohan Reddy to impose self-restrictions and self-control before issuing and launching such hateful campaign against Congress High Command.
She warned him of serious consequences if he did not drop his anti-campaign in the news channel and newspaper.
Meanwhile, reports of Youth Congress workers staging protests outside Saakshi offices in Karimnagar, Chirala, Nellore have started to come in.
At Karimnagar, the YC workers burnt copies of the newspaper and demanded that a retraction of the anti-Congress news stories along with an apology should be published. Burning of the newspaper copies was also reported from other places in the state.