Undoubtedly taking a dig at Telugu Desam Party president N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday, Minister for Minor Irrigation TG Venkatesh stated that the Satyagraha of today is quite different from what National leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Potti Sriramulu had practiced during their days.
He said that they undertook Satyagraha for a noble and National cause to benefit the people unlike today's hunger strikes, which were a mere show. “Today the person who undertakes the fast unto death comes out cheerful and unscathed at the end taking saline but those who followed him became targets” he added.
Further, “anybody, who goes on hunger strike will receive saline after two or three days. This is not Satyagraha,” Mr Venkatesh stated.
The Minister was speaking after releasing a special issue on 'Peddayana' (former chief minister K Rosaiah) which was brought out by the Arya Vyshya Chaithanya Vedika here today.
Mr Venkatesh added that “if a Satyagrahi accepts cyanide instead of saline, things would be different.”
Recalling the Satyagraha practiced earlier by Mahatma Gandhi and Potti Sriramulu, the Minister clarified that they were the real mass leaders who sacrificed their lives for a cause.
Asked Mr Naidu's hunger strike and also former Kadapa MP YS Jaganmohan Reddy’s proposal to start a hunger strike, the Minister maintained that what he was saying was a general statement and not particularly directed against any individual.
Stating that Mr Naidu began his agitation only to retain his identity in politics, Mr Venkatesh said it was a mere gimmick. He also said that he would stand by his statement.
Asked about Rosaiah's abrupt resignation, the Minister made it clear that the former chief minister himself was not interested in continuing in the office. Explaining Rosaiah's comment at Puttaparthi Airport that he would tender his resignation on the spot to the waiting media persons on the spot, the Minister made it clear that he (Mr Rosaiah) was irritated and was forced to say that in a fit of anger and blamed the media for all that incident.
When a reporter asked him whether the Minister was not hurt by a Vysya Chief Minister quitting unceremoniously, Mr Venkatesh replied that he was not pained when Rosaiah himself was not pained.