Jagan Lambasts Naidu On Kapu Reservation Issue

YSR Congress president and Leader of Opposition in the Andhra Pradesh Assembly, Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, on Monday lambasted Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu for holding the Opposition parties responsible for the violence in Tuni of the East Godavari district on Sunday stemming from the "Kapu Garjana" organized there.

Addressing the media in the presence of YSRCP leaders Botsa Satyanarayana and Umareddy Venkateshwarulu, Jagan, referring to the claims made by Chandrababu Naidu on Sunday with regard to the Kapu reservation issue, observed that it was a classic example of self-praise and criticism of others.

"He was boasting more than spelling out specifically what he would do with regard to the demand of the Kapus for inclusion in the BC list," Jagan alleged.

Jagan expressed shock that the YSRCP and Congress parties were accused of engineering and fomenting the violence in Tuni, and charged that Naidu, in order to camouflage his own omissions and commissions, uttered pure lies and tried to blame others.

He wondered why Naidu remained silent about the presence of even BJP leader Kanna Laxminarayana at the Kapu Garjana, while pointing accusing fingers at others.

It was in fact Naidu who had engineered trouble to ensure that the meeting of the Kapus would be a flop, and had even tried to prevent people from attending the Garjana besides warning his own Kapu leaders from attending, Jagan alleged, and charged the AP CM with responsibility for the unrest with a motive to blame other Parties.

The YSRCP leader blamed Naidu for driving a wedge between Kapus and BCs as he had done in the past with the SCs. In fact, the Kapus were classified as BCs till 1956, he said, and reminded that Tamil Nadu had 69% reservations and that Naidu, too, could implement the same by bringing pressure upon the Central government to amend the Constitution, by even withdrawing his ministers from the Union cabinet if necessary.

He said that the Commission appointed by Naidu was only an eye-wash as it had no direction or guidance. The people were getting frustrated and angry with Naidu as he had failed to fulfill any of the assurances and promises made to them. He was only speaking lies and making false claims and duping the people, Jagan alleged.

"Chandrababu Naidu should be deemed as criminal number one," Jagan railed.

The YSRCP chief also pointed out that a Kapu leader and former minister Harirama Jogaiah had held the TDP responsible for the murder of Vangaveeti Ranga. It was also revealed by Jogaiah in his book that among the accused in the Ranga murder case were Uma Maheshwar Rao, now a minister, and Kodela Sivaprasada Rao, now Speaker of the AP Assembly, Jagan observed, and added that all these only pointed to Naidu being a criminal at heart.

Justifying the agitation by the Kapus for inclusion in the BC list, the YSRCP chief however appealed to all to maintain restraint and peace lest the Chief Minister take advantage putting the entire blame on the Kapus.