
SRIKAKULAM: Telugu Desam Party star campaigner N.T. Rama Rao Junior has indirectly hit out at the newly-formed Praja Rajyam Party (PRP) for trying to hijack the plank of social justice from the TDP by merely talking about it.
“The TDP has actually been practising it since its inception,” Mr. Rama Rao said while addressing a well-attended meeting at the Seven Roads Junction here on Saturday. “You people know this fact better than me, as I too was born just about the time the party was born,” he added.
Substantiating the party’s track record in the actual implementation of social justice philosophy, Mr. Rama Rao said that the TDP made G.M.C. Balayogi Speaker of the Lok Sabha, BC leader K. Yerrannaidu Union Minister and K. Pratibha Bharathi Speaker of the Assembly. The party was also instrumental in making A.P.J. Abdul Kalam President.
The TDP, when it was in power, was instrumental in introduction of Rs. 2-a-kg rice scheme, Janatha clothing for the poor and supply of power to agriculture at subsidised price.
While the party promoted the concept of Janmabhoomi, the Congress Government was selling away all available government land to private parties, he ridiculed.
Stating that only the TDP championed the cause of self-respect of the Telugus, Mr. Rama Rao said that when P.V. Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister, his grandfather (NTR), in order to support a Telugu man, had not fielded a party candidate against him in the by-election at Nandyal.
He also found fault with the Congress Government for not naming the International Airport at Hyderabad after either N.T. Rama Rao or P.V. Narasimha Rao.
Campaign ends
Junior NTR’s three-day blitzkrieg covering 10 Assembly segments in the district, including rikakulam Parliamentary constituency, concluded.
However, Junior NTR failed to keep up his time and was behind schedule by three hours, much to the discomfort and chagrin of the people. He is scheduled to continue his campaign for the party in Vizianagaram district on Sunday.