Andhra Pradesh chief minister K. Rosaiah, state Congress chief D. Srinivas, party MPs and other leaders on Friday participated in a massive protest here against RSS leader K.S. Sudarshan's remarks against their party president Sonia Gandhi.
Addressing protesters at Basheerbagh in the heart of the city, Mr Rosaiah said it was an unpardonable crime if people wanted to earn cheap publicity by making insulting remarks against Mrs Gandhi. He said her rivals were making such remarks because they were unable to fight her politically.
"We all know the forces behind a demon called Nathuram Godse who killed the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi. These forces have been trying to mislead people by promising to serve them but people remained vigilant and kept them at bay," Mr Rosaiah said.
State Congress chief D. Srinivas demanded unconditional apology from the former RSS chief for making offensive remarks against Mrs Gandhi. The protesters raised slogans against Sudarshan and burnt his effigy.
The RSS leader had described the Congress president as "a CIA agent" who "had plotted the assassination of her mother-in-law Indira Gandhi and her husband late Rajiv Gandhi".
There was tension at the venue after the chief minister and Srinivas left. The protesters blocked heavy traffic leading to MPs V. Hanumantha Rao as well as Anjan Kumar Yadav and others being arrested.