KURNOOL: YSR Congress Party Nagari MLA RK Roja had a bitter experience during her door-to-door campaign in Nandyal on Saturday when TDP activists surrounded her and raised slogans against her leading to a war of words. Accompanied by former KDCC Bank chairman Cherukulapadu Sridevi and a few others, Roja went to the 16th ward in the town for campaigning. When word got around about her visit, TDP activists, mainly women, rushed to the spot and began raising slogans such as Roja down. They sought to know why Silpa Chakrapani Reddy, brother of YSRCP candidate Silpa Mohan Reddy, who joined the opposition party, made derogatory comments against women at a recent public meeting. When they asked Roja as to why she was campaigning instead of boycotting the campaign, the YSRC leader shot back accusing them of disrupting her campaign deliberately.
As the verbal duel intensified, a tense situation prevailed for almost an hour. Police tried to calm down the warring parties in vain and had to finally advise Roja and her party leaders to leave the area. Roja who left the place in a huff later held a press conference at the party office in which she went hammer and tongs at the TDP.“It is shame that the TDP is trying to disrupt our campaign instead of facing the challenge. TDP is afraid after our party leader YS Jagan’s successful public meeting on August 3,” she alleged. Known for her controversial remarks, she branded the TDP leaders “Pappu batch” and advised them to stop poaching legislators of other parties. She further dared leaders who had defected from the YSRC to the TDP to resign and seek a fresh mandate.
“The grand success of the YSRC meeting has rattled the TDP and hence, it is resorting to unlawful means in its campaign,” she claimed and accused the TDP of hiring people to stage protests against Silpa Mohan Reddy. Taking potshots at Minister Akhila Priya, she said the former YSRCP MLA had no right to talk about traditions and customs. She reminded Akhila Priya that Chandrababu Naidu did not even send a condolence message let alone visit them when the latter’s mother Shobha Nagi Reddy died in a road accident. “Akhila Priya should first check facts before commenting on traditions. Power seems to be her priority more than her parents. How can she side with a Chief Minister who does not have the courtesy to show respect to her parents?” Roja questioned.