HYDERABAD: Disappointing state Congress leaders DK Aruna, Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and A Revanth Reddy, AICC president Rahul Gandhi is learnt to have rejected their proposals for undertaking padayatras individually. Instead, Gandhi asked them to collectively organise one padayatra so as to send a clear message to the party cadres that leaders have buried their differences.
According to sources, when Komatireddy Venkat Reddy and S A Sampath Kumar, whose expulsion from the Assembly has been set aside by the High Court, along with AICC state affairs in-charge RC Khuntia, TPCC chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, TPCC chief spokesman Sravan Dasoju and advocate Jandhyala Ravi Shankar who argued the case in the court, met him in Delhi on Friday, Rahul made it clear that every programme, including padayatras, should be organised collectively.
“The era of organising individual programmes by leaders is over. Hereafter, all agitations should be taken up collectively. Those encouraging groupism won’t be spared,” he warned during his 45-minute-long pep talk to them. He also asked the TPCC leadership not to announce party ticket for next polls during the Bus Yatra. While appreciating the Yatra, he said he would take part in its next phase for two days.
When Venkat Reddy and Sampath explained about the High Court verdict, Rahul asked the duo to continue their fight over the alleged failures of TRS government with the same vigour. “He asked us to file a contempt petition against the state legislature if the court’s verdict is not implemented by the Assembly. We will file a contempt petition after watching the next moves of the state government. As TRS MLAs filed an appeal challenging the single judge’s order, we will wait for some days,” they said.