Naidu Stirs Up Storm With "Let's Kill Cong" Speech

Former Chief Minister Chandrababu Naidu's rousing speech to Guntur district farmers, asking them to "pick up their katthulu and kodavallu and kill the Congress government" instead of committing suicide, has managed to rouse the Congress party's sensitive sensibilities.

The TDP president reportedly said to a gathering of farmers in Guntur, during his Vastunna Meekosam padayatra, that they should not kill themselves due to the lack of drinking water, and that they should be killing the Congress government. He went on to suggest that they pick up their swords and axes, and take to the streets, and that only then would things get done.

The Congress party has taken exception to Babu's turn of phrase, and is threatening to book cases against him if he does not retract his statement and tender an apology.

Said Govt. Whip Gandra Venkata Ramana Reddy, "A man of his stature, who was in the position of the state's Chief Minister for nine years, should not speak in such harsh terms. His words amount to waging a war against the government. We will give him one last chance to tender an unconditional apology. If he is unwilling to comply, we have no option but to book cases against him."

TDP leader Rajendra Prasad replied indignantly, "It is a knee jerk reaction of the Congress party to silence all voices against it. The statement [by Chandrababu] was made rhetorically to rouse the people when they were down. Do they [Congress members] think this is the Emergency period that they are threatening to put all dissenters in prison? Our leader will not apologise, and we will continue to fight for the people."