Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee president Gidugu Rudra Raju on August 16 (Wednesday) condemned the attack on a Dalit woman in Darsi mandal of Prakasam district.
In a statement, he said the deeply unsettling and appalling incident of the brutal attack was a blot on democracy. He said the government should effectively respond to such savage attacks and punish the guilty.
Promising all help to the victim’s family from the Congress party, he said the party would not remain silent spectator to assaults on Dalits and minorities.
Mr. Rudra Raju complimented the police for reaching out to the victim in need of their help in time and saving her from being killed by the perpetrators of the attack.
YSRCP leaders join Congress
Meanwhile, Mr. Rudra Raju welcomed into the Congress fold leaders of minority communities from Kurnool and Krishna districts.
He asserted that only the Congress party could ensure justice to the poor, backward, weaker and minority sections. He urged the party leaders and workers to work with commitment to strengthen the party at the grassroots level.
Former president of YSRCP’s Kurnool city minority’ wing Shaik Malik Basha, who joined the Congress along with a few others, said he was inspired by Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra.
He said people belonging to the minority sections were taken for a ride by Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who had promised to continue the good work initiated by his father Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy in the past.
YSRCP’s minority wing leaders from Kurnool Syed Navid, Shaik Miya Basha and Shaik Anwar Basha were among others who joined the Congress party.
Kotla remembered
The party celebrated the birth anniversary of former Chief Minister of the undivided Andhra Pradesh Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy, at Andhra Ratna Bhavan.
Speaking after paying rich tributes to him by garlanding his portrait, Mr. Rudra Raju recalled that Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy had launched the welfare scheme of supplying rice to the poor for ₹1.90 a kg rice for the first time in the country. Keeping corruption at bay, he earned the reputation of an honest leader and served the needy with commitment.
Party working president Sunkara Padmasree, Vijayawada city Congress president Naraharasetty Narsimha Rao, NTR district president B. Kiran Kumar, AICC members Dhanekula Murali, Meda Suresh and Meesala Rajeswara Rao, party legal cell’s State chairman V. Gurunadham, vice-chairman Jandhyala Sastry, senior leaders B. Nageswara Rao and others were present.
(EOM)
