Telugu Desam rebuts charges, swears by NTR

NEW DELHI, Jan 17: Countering criticism of its Government in Andhra Pradesh by rebel leader Harikrishna, the Telugu Desam Party today swore by the late N T Rama Rao’s ideals and goals as evidenced by the welfare schemes being implemented under the leadership of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu.Talking to reporters here on the eve of NTR’s third death anniversary, Telugu Desam parliamentary party leader K Yerran Naidu sought to deny the charges made by certain “individuals and parties” while refusing to refer to Harikrishna, NTR’s third son, by name.

He described the charges that the Chief Minister was deviating from NTR’s policies as “politically motivated” and asserted that the people of the state would back him in the Assembly elections due late this year. Referring to the charge that the cheap rice scheme introduced by NTR had been given a go-by, Yerran Naidu said there had been only a marginal increase in the price of subsidy rice.