The rebel leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, who quit the Congress alleging that it was trying to divide his family, on Tuesday clashed with his uncle, Mr Y.S. Vivekananda Reddy, in the presence of their relatives over the latter’s defence of the Congress high command.
The uncle and nephew met at a guest house in Idupulapaya on the persuasion of family members but they ended up having a big row.
While Mr Jagan chided Mr Vivekananda Reddy for going to Delhi and speaking in favour of the high command, Mr Vivekananda Reddy reminded him curtly that it was high command that elevated them to high positions. Tempers rose and relatives prevented a scuffle between them and sent away Mr Vivekananda Reddy in his vehicle.Though the two met again at their relative, Mr C.V. Subba Reddy’s house in Pulivendula in the evening there were only cold vibes.
An irked Mr Vivekananda Reddy later dismissed the allegation made by his nephew that the Congress high command was trying to divide the YSR family and told mediapersons that the high command had in fact given much importance to the family and had given prestigious posts to his brother YSR even when he was relatively young.
Mr Jagan had cited the “summons” to his uncle and the offer of ministership to him as part of a deliberate conspiracy to create fissures in the family, but the latter said that he had voluntarily gone to Delhi seeking a berth in the state Cabinet. He and his mother, Mrs Vijayalaxmi, had quit the Congress and had also resigned their elected posts on Monday accusing the party leadership of trying to tarnish YSR’s name and create fissures in the family.
In a further rebuff to the young leader, Mr Vivekananda Reddy told the media said that the resignation of Mr Jagan and his mother would pain the soul of YSR who had never defied the high command. YSR also strove to bring Congress into power twice by strengthening the party in the state, he recalled.
He recalled that the late prime ministers, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, gave prestigious positions including that of the PCC chief to his brother YSR though he was very young at that time.
YSR’s brother also requested the public and Jagan followers to forgive him if it was a mistake to seek a berth in the Cabinet but added that he would always follow the high command’s orders and would even contest against his nephew in the bypoll if need be. “There is no need for the Congress to create differences in our family,” he said. “I will strive for the Congress forever.”
Meanwhile, a large number of YSR loyalists thronged Idupulapaya. The MLAs, Mr Amarnath Reddy, Mr Adinarayana Reddy, Ms Kamalamma, Mr Pulla Padmavathi, the MLC, Mr Jupudi Prabhakar Rao, the MP, Mr Mekapati Rajamohan Reddy and Anantapur ZP chairperson, Ms T. Kavitha were also present.