VIJAYAWADA: Intensifying the political heat raked up by Gannavaram MLA Vallabhaneni Vamsi, who openly revolted against the TDP, Civil Supplies Minister Kodali Sri Venkateswara Rao (Nani) on Saturday launched a scathing attack on Opposition Leader N Chandrababu Naidu and former minister Devineni Umamaheswara Rao. Nani termed the two leaders useless fellows who have grown up in politics by killing their close family members.
Nani joined the war of words after Devineni Uma criticised the former for the government’s failure to keep its promise of providing polished rice through Public Distribution System. “The TDP does not have the moral right to talk about defections and democracy. You (Naidu) have engineered defection of 23 YSRC MLAs when TDP was in power and made some of them ministers. You have made the defected MLAs abuse our leader YS Jagan Mohan Reddy on the floor of Assembly and enjoyed it,’’ Nani reminded.
The minister said that the YSRC did not promise supply of polished rice, but fine quality rice.
“For this, we have to purchase rice and the process started from November 20. From the rice we purchase, we select quality rice and supply it to PDS beneficiaries,’’ he said adding that the present stock purchased by the previous TDP government is of substandard quality. “We are selecting quality rice from the present stock and supplying the same to PDS beneficiaries in Srikakulam district as a pilot project,’’ he said.
Nani alleged that Naidu had killed his own father-in-law (NT Rama Rao), while Devineni Uma had murdered his sister-in-law (brother’s wife). “These useless fellows are asking me as to why I, as a minister, failed to give polished rice. Don’t talk loosely or else you will face the consequences,’’ he warned.
Nani clarified that Devineni Avinash, who unsuccessfully contested against him in the 2019 elections joined the YSRC on his own and the YSRC did not encourage any defection. “I told Avinash before elections itself that he would lose and he was being deceived by Chandrababu Naidu. Avinash, however, trusted Naidu and got betrayed,’’ Nani said.
He said that Gannavaram MLA Vallabhaneni Vamsi would be taken into the party only after he resigns as MLA.
Nani said the TDP will be kept in YSRC’s “storeroom” if Jagan gives them the nod to take on the Opposition party. “We are following some values in politics and that is why the TDP is still surviving,’’ he said.
Nani said Naidu’s political career has come to end and he cannot become Chief Minister or Leader of Opposition again in his lifetime.
Speaking at a separate press conference, Endowments Minister Vellampalli Srinivas Rao brushed aside the propaganda of the TDP and Jana Sena on religious issues and said it was a move to divert people’s attention from the welfare schemes being implemented by the Jagan Mohan Reddy government.
Srinivas said the parties have been trying to whip up religious passions to gain political mileage unable to digest the growing popularity of the Chief Minister.
“They have been raising issues with religious sentiments to tarnish the image of the Chief Minister, but they will fail in their efforts. Naidu and Jena Sena leader Pawan Kalyan are trying to ignite religious sentiments by making baseless allegations against the government and the Chief Minister. It is unfortunate,” he said.
Will quit as minister if TDP proves its charges, says Dharmana
Srikakulam: Roads and Buildings Minister Dharmana Krishna Das on Saturday said he would resign from the Cabinet if Telugu Desam Party (TDP) proves his involvement in illegal sand mining. “The Opposition party is trying to defame me by spreading canards. Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy introduced the new sand policy to curb illegal sand mining and transportation. Transparency is being maintained at every level of sand production and transportation,” he maintained.
Addressing a meeting at Kallepalli after inaugurating a sand reach and stock point, he said Jagan was fulfilling all the promises made during his Praja Sankalpa Yatra. Welfare of the poor is the slogan of the YSRC. The minister appealed to Amma Vodi beneficiaries to contribute a little for the development of schools.