Former minister and MLC P Venkat Rao on Monday appealed to Pradesh Congress Committee president Botsa Satyanarayana and Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy to focus their attention on refurbishing the party's image, which was drubbed recently due to failure in by-elections and internal conflicts.
Talking to media persons at Congress Legislature Party Office, he said that the PCC chief and High Command should take serious disciplinary action against those violating party discipline and damaging party's image by openly raising their voice against the government and the Chief Minister. If the high command and the PCC fail to initiate action against such anti-party activists, the survival of party would be in danger and it would suffer a major defeat in the ensuing by-elections to be held in 18 Assembly constituencies, he pointed out.
By acting tough against the dissidents, he said that the PCC and the Chief Minister could save the government and party in the State. The country would become weak, if the national party like Congress becomes weak, he said. He pointed out that internal differences among leaders were responsible for weakening of the party and its image. He advised the leaders to raise their issues in the party forum instead of airing them in media.
Responding to Telangana State issue, he said that the division of country into smaller states would pose a threat to internal security.