As Congress MP from Andhra Pradesh S Jagan Mohan Reddy prepared to defy the party on his controversial yatra, Congress on Tuesday threatened him with disciplinary action if he went ahead with the event.
"All true committed and loyal Congressmen must necessarily observe both the party dharma and laxman rekha of propriety and party discipline," party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said in New Delhi.
Indicating of a toughening of the party stand on the issue, he said "failure to do so would perforce lead to a chain of consequences which are best avoidable. We hope and trust that compliance will take the place of defiance." The Congress spokesperson said "party discipline like law does not discriminate between individuals."
Notwithstanding party chief Sonia Gandhi's reservations about the yatra, Reddy, the son of late Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy, has decided to resume his yatra from July 8 to console party workers grieving his father's death in a helicopter crash.
Jagan, who had defied the party directive against undertaking the yatra in May also, had met Gandhi along with his family members in Delhi on June 29 to seek her permission for the tour.
During the meeting, the Congress chief had suggested assembling the affected families at one place to console them and also to offer financial assistance, the young Lok Sabha MP had said.
In an open letter to the people, he said "we explained to her the need to resume the yatra to console the family members of those who died following the death of my father. She (Sonia Gandhi) did not cite any specific reason but did not appear to be favourably inclined over resuming the yatra." Notwithstanding Congress's warning to Jagan Reddy, he travelled today to Kadapa and paid tributes to his late father at the place ahead of resumption of his yatra.
Jagan was accompanied by Congress MLAs-K Srinivasulu (Koduru), A Amarnath Reddy (Rajampeta), Kamalamma (Badvel) -- MLC, his uncle Y S Vivekananda Reddy and another MLC Pulla Padmavati and several local leaders. Jagan would leave for Srikakulam district tomorrow night to resume his yatra
Meanwhile, two Andhra Pradesh Congress leaders flayed Jagan's decision to resume the yatra saying without Congress he would be a "zero". "Sonia Gandhi is the ultimate leader for Congress. Whoever wants to stay in the party should listen to her", said Ponnam Prabhakar, Congress MP from Karimnagar.
O Shanker Rao, party MLA, said "what is Jagan's recognition without his father? Whoever stays in Congress will be a hero. Whoever leaves the party will become a zero". PTI
