Author: TNN
Publication: The Times of India
Date: January 9, 2010
The violence against Reliance group, allegedly
provoked by a news telecast claiming the business giant got Y S Rajasekhara
Reddy killed in a helicopter crash, has triggered unrest in the Congress with
fingers pointing at YSR's son Jaganmohan Reddy.
While the Telangana faction of the party accused
the Jagamohan faction of trying to derail division of Andhra, others felt
it was only an attempt to show that CM K Rosaiah was not fit to steer a difficult
situation as well as to block the process of formation of Telangana.
The fresh incident in Congress-ruled state,
which is mired in controversies since YSR's death four months ago and is having
to deal with the incendiary issue of bifurcation, threatens to stoke factionalism
and power struggle, which anyway has brimmed over.
The probe may have implications for the state
Congress, especially as the Union home ministry appeared to be in line with
the assessment that sudden eruption had to do with factional feud in the party.
A top source called it "intraparty conflict". Insiders say the giveaway
in the ostensible spontaneous reaction of YSR followers to the revelation
that his accident was a murder.
The local TV channel picked the murder theory
from a Moscow-based website four months after it was posted. The story is
said to have led irate Congressmen to target Reliance offices in Hyderabad,
Kadapa, Eluru and other places. While Jagan appealed to supporters to shun
vandalism, saying he was shocked to learn there could be foul play in his
father's death, Telangana leaders were quick to point fingers at him. Damodar
Reddy and some MLAs and MLCs accused the CM and YSR family aide K V P Ramachandra
Rao of orchestrating the violence.
