I’ll defy whip on T, says Ganta

People are the ‘high command’: Minister for ports

Visakhapatnam: Minister for Ports and Infrastructure Ganta Srinivasa Rao lambasted the ‘stance’ adopted by the Union ministers from the Seemandhra region towards united Andhra Pradesh. Going another step forward, the minister said: “If the Congress party issues a ‘whip’ in the process for the formation of Telangana, I will defy the party and vote against it.”

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Mr Ganta Srinivasa Rao said it was unfortunate that even after 47 days of struggle for Samaikyandhra, the Union Ministers’ stand on resignations and terming the ‘demand’ for resignations as ‘media creation’ was simply foolishness. “The leaders have to go by what the people want and decide,” he said. “The people are the ‘high command’ and the sentiments of the people regarding such crucial decisions must be viewed seriously,” Mr Ganta added.

It may be recalled here that in a recent meeting, the Union ministers and MPs had said that the demand for resignations was not from the people and it was the media that was demanding their resignations.

The minister took strong objection to their attitude and said the ‘arrogance’ of the Union ministers amounted to ‘watering down’ the people’s movement. “When the whole of Seemandhra is burning, such remarks are unwarranted. If the Union ministers are with the people, they would have known their woes,” Mr Srinivasa Rao said.

Earlier, the minister launched a poster of the ‘Visakha Samaikya Garjana’ scheduled to be held on the RK Beach on September 21. The ‘Garjana’ was planned by the Non-Political Joint Action Committee (JAC) in coordination with all other JACs. The minister appealed to all sections of society to make the meeting a huge success. “This show of strength will help in taking the mass movement of Samaikyandhra agitation to new heights,” he said. Meanwhile, the Samaikyandhra agitation continued with the protesters setting on relay hunger strike, taking out rallies and organising protests. YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leader Sharmila’s bus yatra overshadowed the protests as she too visited some camps to show solidarity with the striking agitators.