Fast doesn't interfere with flood relief: YSR

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, AUG. 25. The leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP), Dr.Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, said the fast by his party MLAs did not, in any manner, interfere with the ``belated'' relief work of the Government in rain-hit areas.

Responding to the Chief Minister, Mr.N.Chandrababu Naidu's appeal to the Opposition to cooperate with the Government in the task of relief and rehabilitation, Dr. Reddy said that 11 party MLAs had already broken their fast and rushed to their constituencies to participate in relief work. The Congress would extend all possible cooperation to the Government in the relief and rehabilitation operations.

The CLP leader said there were however widespread complaints from the affected people that the Government had not acted promptly. The Satyagraha by Congress and CPI(M) legislators against the power tariff hike would continue as it would not affect the relief work, he said.

Dr. Rajasekhara Reddy said there was no change in the programme to lay siege to the State Assembly on August 28 and appealed to the people to participate in large numbers and assemble at the Jagjivan Ram statue in the city by 10 a.m.

Asked whether the party would review the agitational programme after the "Chalo Assembly" march on that day, he said review was going on every day but the ball was in the court of the Government. ``We are the agitators and it is for the Government to respond,'' he said.

The CLP leader said though only 300 villages were hit by flash floods, the damage was heavy. As the affected area was limited, it would not have an adverse impact on the ``Chalo Assembly'' march, he added.

Asked about the possibility of the fasting leaders being physically removed from the hunger strike camp, he said the reaction would be ``wild and bad.'' There was not a single untoward incident during the anti-tariff agitation and the Government had no reason to use force on the agitators, he said.

Meanwhile, the AICC general secretary, Mr. Motilal Vora, visited the hunger strike camp and enquired about the health of the fasting MLAs. He came as a representative of the party president, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi.

Talking to mediapersons, Mr. Vora said it was for the CLP and the APCC to decide on the course of agitation and the AICC had nothing to do with it.

Mr. Vora said though many Congress-ruled States had gone in for power reforms, the tariff was not raised so abnormally as in the case of Andhra Pradesh. He regretted that the Government had not responded till now though a large number of MLAs had been on fast for the past eight days.

The AICC general secretary said the Government had failed to alert people in time about the danger of foods. He was happy that 11 party MLAs left to their constituencies to lend a helping hand to the administration in relief work.

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