Senior Dalit leader and former union minister Gudisela Venkataswamy' s remarks against party president Sonia Gandhi drew flak and came in for severe criticism
from many congress Functionaries including state Minister for Rural Development Dokka Manikya Varaprasad Rao, who condemned the former's views terming it as below his stature.
addressing media persons at the state Secretariat on Wednesday, Mr Varaprasad Rao found fault with Swamy for speaking against a leader of national status.
A Dalit himself, the Minister was at a loss to understand what induced the old veteran to belittle Ms Sonia Gandhi.
"He is always very calculated. He never spoke out of the way at any press meeting," said the Minister.
Unless there was some ulterior motive, he never attributed anything to anybody and the current outburst lowered his own position, Mr Varaprasad Rao opined.
Mr Varaprasad Rao also ridiculed Swamy's blame game which came in the wake of strengthening the Congress party.
He referred to former chief minister YS Rajasekhara Reddy's intentions to rope in the support of Praja Rajyam Party president K Chiranjeevi who polled over 15 percent votes. “YSR went to the extent of extending a Cabinet post to the PRP leader and what the former chief minister pointed out was that the Congress party just managed to secure a pass marks (percentage) in the 2009 elections,” the Minister pointed out.
“Therefore he saw no reason why he should not enlist the support of PRP for cementing an alliance,” Mr Varaprasad Rao continued.
Union Defence Minister AK Antony inviting the PRP leader for talks with Ms Sonia Gandhi was in no way inferior as certain changes did occur for adjustments in political parties, the Minister added.
Mr Varaprasad Rao also saw some calculated move behind Mr Venkataswamy's utterances as the senior leader never deviated from his measured speech at any place. "What was the
'ulterior motive' we will know," asserted the Minister.
“What was the rationale behind his attack and what is that he wanted to achieve would be clear shortly,” observed Mr Varaprasad Rao.
Further, he is not only a senior SC leader but was also held in high esteem among the Dalits, the Minister added.
Asked whether he thought that Mr Venkataswamy would start a party, Mr Varaprasad Rao stated that he was at a liberty to do so.
Stating that values were more important than personal ambitions, the Minister made known his differences with the senior leader saying that he had scant respect for a person who, after deriving benefits from the party, spoke ill of its president. "It is utterly wrong," said Mr Varaprasad Rao emphatically.
At yet another press meeting, Congress MP Undavalli Arunkumar made clear the attempt to envisage PRP support was High Command's decision as the party required his backing for obvious reasons.
A letter addressed by former chief minister YSR stressing the need to muster PRP's support was put
before the media.
Ms Sonia Gandhi's contribution and her working hours were more than that of any leader, the MP pointed out and added it was incorrect to heap the blames on her. She took the decision to take charge of the Congress keeping the party's interests above personal ambitions, the MP stated.