Andhra ministers back Rosaiah after Jagan's attack

Hyderabad,June 1: A day after Congress MP Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy blamed Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah for last week's violence in Warangal district, state ministers Tuesday came together to defend the chief minister.

The ministers said they were with the chief minister and condemned the allegations made against the government. "We are with the chief minister, the Congress high command and party president Sonia Gandhi," Information and Public Relations Minister J. Geeta Reddy told reporters in the presence of almost all the ministers. They denied the allegations that the government failed to deal with the situation and defended the action taken by it. Geeta Reddy said there were no differences among ministers over the issue. Jagan, son of former chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Monday blamed Rosaiah for the violence at Mahabubabad town in Warangal district May 29. Nine people were injured when gunmen of two Congress legislators loyal to Jagan opened fire on pro-Telangana activists protesting against his visit. The same day police arrested Jagan in Nalgonda district when he was on his way to Mahabubabad as part of his yatra to console families of those who died of shock or committed suicide after his father's death last year. The MP from Kadapa is currently in Delhi to convince the party's central leadership that his yatra was not political. He told reporters in the capital that the government allowed people to attack Congress leaders who had taken refuge in waiting room of Mahabubabad railway station. Sounding defiant, the young leader said he would continue his yatra as it was personal and had no political motives. Meanwhile, Home Minister P. Sabita Indra Reddy announced a probe by the Crime Investigation Department (CID) into the violence and firing. "We will take action if any policeman is found guilty during the inquiry." A majority of the ministers loyal to YSR wanted Jagan as the chief minister following YSR's death in helicopter crash Sep 2. They gave up the demand after the Congress leadership turned it down.
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