VHR calls off Deeksha after Raja Narasimha assurance

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Congress MP V. Hanumantha Rao on Saturday called off his ‘silent protest’ at Gandhi Bhavan after three-and-a-half hours on Saturday following an assurance by Deputy CM Damodar Raja Narasimha that he would take up the demand raised by the MP with the party’s central leadership. Mr Rao had take up the ‘maun vrat’ to highlight the need to conduct a brainstorming session to thoroughly review the party position in the state.

Former PCC chief K. Kesava Rao and health minister D.L. Ravindra Reddy visited the protest camp and expressed their solidarity for the cause taken up Mr Rao. “What is wrong in demanding a brainstorming session? Everyone is concerned about the party’s future, I don’t know why calls for conducting a party session are being ignored” Dr Ravindra Reddy said.

Sources said some Congress leaders broug-ht the deeksha to the notice of PCC president Botsa Satyanarayana and requested him to intervene. However, Mr Satyanarayana refused to intervene, saying that Mr Rao did not inform him of his decision to take up deeksha.

Meanwhile two party MLAs, Jogi Ramesh and Malladi Vishnu, raised objection over the deekha. “Mr Rao should not have taken up the deeksha. It amounts to indiscipline,” Mr Ramesh told this correspondent.