Congress bigwigs attend launch of book on YSR

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Rejecting the plea of Congress Rajya Sabha MP Hanumantha Rao not to attend the function to release the book by MP K.V.P. Ramachandra Rao on former chief minister Y.S. Rajesekar Reddy, a galaxy of senior party leaders turned up at the venue and praised YSR's contribution to the growth of the party in AP.

The function saw Congress leaders Motilal Vora, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Vayalar Ravi, Digvijay Singh, Oscar Fernandes, Chiranjeevi, Botsa Satya-narayana, Janardhan Reddy, R.K. Dhawan and Rajiv Shukla turn up for the book release of 'My Diary on Padayatra,', based on the experiences of YSR during his famous 68-day padayatra that saw the Congress storm to power in AP in 2004.

Union home minister Sushil Kumar Shinde arrived late due to prior commitments. Congress MP T. Subbarami Reddy read out the message of party president Sonia Gandhi who had written the foreword for the book. Mr Motilal Vora released the book.

Congress general secretary in-charge of AP Ghulam Nabi Azad said YSR was a Congress loyalist to the core. Describing the former Kadapa tiger as an obedient soldier of the party, Mr Azad said, “He strictly followed the directions of the high command though he differed with seniors at times.”

Hinting that the Congress in AP grew under the tutelage of YSR, the Union health minister said that YSR understood the pulse and sentiments of the people during the course of his padayatra which brought the Congress to power in 2004.

Mr Vayalar Ravi, another party in-charge of the state, said that it became clear to him that the Congress would return to power after the padayatra as he saw for himself people, irrespective of religion or region, participating in it.

Mr Ravi also referred to what YSR wrote a few days before his death that it was Congress that gave him a political life, and that therefore it was incumbent on him to remain loyal to it.

“It was the dream of YSR to make Rahul Gandhi the Prime Minister in 2014 which clearly proved that he was not just a regional leader but a man with a national vision,” Mr Ravi said.

Others who took part in the function were Undavalli Arun Kumar, Suresh Shetkar, Sai Pratap, J.D. Seelam and Rayapati Sambasiva Rao.