HYDERABAD: Even as the Congress leadership is making all-out efforts to revive the party in the reorganised Andhra Pradesh, it appears to be on the verge of losing a prominent political family to the BJP. At a time when APCC leaders are trying to win back the people in the State by organising various protests over the issue of special category status to the State, veteran politico Nadendla Bhaskara Rao’s family has begun sending clear signals that it is veering towards the saffron party. Former Speaker Nadendla Manohar and his father Bhaskara Rao, who have been keeping away from Congress activities in AP, are learnt to have made up their mind to join the BJP in the coming days. Proving this, Bhaskara Rao on Saturday showered praises on Prime Minister Narendra Modi while charging the former prime minister Manmohan Singh with trying to tarnish the “clean image” of Modi.
Taking strong exception to the ‘intolerance’ word being used by the Congress to criticise the BJP-led NDA government’s alleged nonsecular policies, Rao questioned, “If our society is really intolerant, how could an Italian woman like Sonia Gandhi enter public life?” In an interaction with journalists here Saturday, Rao came down heavily on the AICC leadership for levelling allegations against Modi. He refuted the allegations of the Congress leaders that the Centre’s policies were making the society intolerant. “If our country is really intolerant as is being claimed by some, how could an Italian woman become president of the AICC?” he questioned. Hitting back at the AICC leadership, particularly former prime minister Manmohan Singh, Bhaskara Rao alleged that Congress leaders were jealous of Modi’s meteoric rise. He wondered how Singh, who had held the post of prime minister for 10 long years, could now suddenly compare the RSS with the ISIS. “It is absurd that a man like Manmohan Singh now has tried to equate the RSS with the ISIS. If his argument is correct, then, what was he doing during all the 10 years when he was the PM? Why did he not ban the RSS?” he asked.
“In the political arena across the globe, Modi is a superstar. His clean administration and non-corrupt governance are being praised by many world leaders. Some are unable to tolerate this. Hence, they are resorting to mud-slinging against the most efficient PM,” the veteran politico said. Interestingly, Rao did not say a firm ‘yes’ when asked about his plans to join the BJP. “I have already quit the Congress as the AICC leadership unjustly divided Telugus. But now, I am an apolitical man as I have turned 80. I just want to air my views over the way some are trying to magnify minor incidents that take place every day in a vast country like ours,” he said. Rao equally tried to maintain suspense about his son Manohar’s future political moves, saying, “He thinks independently. He will decide his future course in the coming days.”